f>s 


Mifcellaneous  Trifles 


PROSE. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED      FOR      THE      AUTHOR 

BY  LANG  AND  USTICK. 

M.BCC.XCVZ* 


CONTENTS. 

?AGE 

Shipwreck,  -  5 

Columbian  Obferver,  No.  I.  14 

No.  II.    Modern 

Improvement,   33 
No.  IV.   Hift.  of 

Mrs.Winthrop,39 

Funding  Bill,  -  -  -  -  55 
Life  of  General  Greene,  -  -  68 
Thoughts  on  the  policy  of  encouraging 

Migration,         -         -         -         -     no 

Theatricus,   No.  I.  Mr.  Chalmers,        135 

No.  II.  Mrs.  Whitlock,    .  133 

No.  III.  Mr.   Harwood,     141 

No.  IV.  Mrs.  Marfhall,     149 

Advantages  of  over-trading,  158 

Obfervations   on    the   badnefs  of  the 

Times,  -  «  167 


THE 

SHIPWRECK,* 

A  FRAGMENT. 

JL  I  RED  with  oppreffion  in  our 
native  land,  and  in  hopes  of  a  better 
fituation  in  America,  two  hundred  of 
us,hale,hearty,andinduftrious,befides 
women  and  children,  embarked  at 
Londonderry,  on  board  the  ******? 
bound  for  Philadelphia. 

*  I  wifti  I  could  foothe  the  reader's  hu* 
inanity,  by  informing  him  that  this  frag 
ment  is  not  the  child  of  a  fportive  imagina 
tion.  Unfortunately,  it  is  literally  true. 
The  fads  I  had  from  one  of  the  hapjefs  fuf , 
fefers.  The  drefs  alone  is  mine, 

B 


6  THE    SHIPWRECK. 

From  the  outfet  untoward  acci 
dents  awaited  us.  We  had  not  been 
ten  days  at  fea,  when  our  Teflel 
fprung  a  leak,  which,  for  a  long  time, 
baffled  all  our  endeavours.  At  length, 
being  difcovered,  it  was  (lopped,  and 

we  efleemed  ourfeives  fecure. 

Thoughtlefs  mortals!  the  difappoint- 
rnent  of  to-day  never  produces  the 
effect  of  preparing  us  for  the  cala 
mity  of  to-morrow! 

A  guft  arofe !  the  elements  warred 
tdgethcr,  as  if  it  were  the  "  laft 
groan  of  expiring  nature."  The 
floodgates  of  heaven  feemed  loofed! 
dreadful  peals  of  thunder  rattled  on 
the  ear.  The  {touted:  hearts  were 
appalled.  The  forked  lightning 


THE    SHIPWRECK.  7 

flruck'our  maft,  and  fet  the  veffel  on 
£re.  Befet  by  two  raging  elements- 
die  roaring  biilo  '  s,  which  lafhed  her 
fides,  and  feemed  ready  to  fwallo  v 
Jber  and  us,  though  they  had  appeared 
fo  terrific  before — -now  loft  their  hor 
rors?  and  were  regarded — melancholy 
alternative! — as  a  lefs  tremendous 
?enemy  than  their  new  auxiliary. 

With  vaft  difficulty,  the  flame  was 
cxtinguifhed — but  not  until  it  had 
'rendered  our  veffel  fcarcely  manage 
able.  To  complete  the  xnsafare  of 
our  woes,  our  provifions  fell  mort. 
A  bifcuit  and  a  pint  of  water,  fetid 
and  almoft  as  denfe  as  glue,  was  the 
daily  portion  of  each !  Every  morning 
favv  two  or  three  miferabk  wretches 

B  2 


£  THE    SHIPWRECK. 

heaved  overboard,  into  a  watry  grave, 
in  the  prefence  of  their  dejefted 
friends  and  relatives,  each  hourly  ex 
pecting  the  hand  of  death  to  clofe  his 
eyes,  and  free  him  from  his  abyfs  of 
jmifery, 

«  Father!  father!"  cries  a  once 
beautiful,  but  now  emaciated  child, 
whofe  vifage  bore  irrefifHble  evidence 
of  near-approaching  mortality,  "  get 
"  me  a  drink!  I  faint — I  die! — for 
*'  God's  fake  let  me  have  a  drop,  of 
€c  water  to  quench  my  third !" 

"  Captain,  I  beg  a  little  water  to 
«  fave  my  child  from  death." — "You 
"  have  had  your  mare  for  to-day,  and 
"  mall  have  no  more." 


SHIPWRECK.  9 

c<  Brute!  (hanger  to  the  tender  feel- 
"  ings  of  nature — had  you  a  child — 
"  but  you  are  not  worthy  of  having 
«  one — you  would  pity  my  prefent 
•«  fituation,  and  relieve  me." 

The  mother  of  the  child,  who  had 
fwooned  away,  juft  came  to  herfelf. 
She  heard  his  plaintive  cries.  She 
joined  her  voice  to  his,  and  befought 
the  father  to  procure  the  water. 

Melancholy,  anguifh,  and  torture* 
feized  the  tender  huiband's — the  ten* 
der  father's  foul.  The  big  tear  rolled 
down  his  cheek.  "  Gracious  and  all* 
••<  powerful  God!  why  vifit  your 
"  children  with  fuch  calamities?  Pre* 
"  fumptuous  man!"  added  hej  reco 
vering  himfelf,  "are  you  to  dare  fcru-* 


TO  THE    SHIPWRECK. 

"  tinize  the  ways  of  unerring  Provi* 
"  dence?  Not  my  will,  O  Lord,  but 
"  thine  be  done!" 

He  returned  to  the  fcene  he  had 
juft  quitted.  His  beloved  child  lay 
breathing  his  laft.  His  wife  had 
fwooned  away  again.  The  fight 
was  too  affliftive.  His  agonies  over 
powered  him.  He  went  to  the  captain, 
v/hom  he  quarrelled  with,  {truck.  The 
blows  were  returned.  He  feized  a 
fword;  and  the  captain,  ruming  for 
ward,  received  it  in  his  bread.  He 
clofed  his  eyes  for  ever. 

Diforder  and  confufion  enfued  in 
the  veflel.  The  failors  plundered 
every  thing  they  could  lay  their  hands 
upon:  and  fuch  was  their  irregularity 


THE    SHIPWRECK,  II 

<tind  carele/fnefs,  that  they  ran  the  vef- 
fel  aground  at  Synapuxent,  in  the 
ftate  of  Maryland. 

The  Tea  ran  mountains  high.  A 
fluff,  with  about  twenty  perfons  on 
board,  was  overfet  by  an  enormous 
wave.  The  ihrieksai.d  piteous  cries 
of  men,  women,  and  children,  foon 
died  away.  They  were  fwal  owed 
up  in  one  common  grave.  Mod  of  the 
remainder  were  drowned  in  endea 
vouring  to  fw  im  to  land. 

About  thirty  miferable  wretches  of 
us,  gained  the  more,  fome  fortunate 
enough  to  fave  their  property.  We 
expected  there  to  meet  u  ith  relief  and 
comfort.  Fatal  delufion!  Had  we 

been  thrown  afhore  among  the  New 
B4 


f.2  THE    SHIPWRECK. 

Zealanders,  among  the  fwarthyfons  of 
Guinea,  or  among  the  rapacious  Alge- 
rines,  our  fate  could  not  have  been 
more  fevere.  We  were  cruelly  plun 
dered.  Not  a  valuable  article  was  left 
us — and  we  were  reduced  to  beggary 
in  a  (I range  land,  without  a  hope  of 
redrefs. 

Man!  man!  wretched,  infatuated 
man !  Can  a  fordid  trifle  tempt  you 
tins  to  violate  every  rule  of  right  and 
juflice — to  fteel  vour  heart  againft  the 
feelings  of  humanity — and  to  be  more 
cruel  and  noxious  than  the  raging  ele 
ments!  Short  is  your  day — and  then 
all  the  vanities  of  this  world  will  pafs 
away — the  veil  that  prevents  your 
regarding  objects  in  their  true  light, 


THE    SHIPWRECK.  1 3 

will  be  removed — keen  remorfe  will 
prey  upon  your  tortured  foul,  and  be 
an  earnell:  of  your  future  never-dying 
woe! 

Rulers  of  America !  Guard  againft 
this  barbarity!  make  fevere  laws  to 
jpunifh  the  '  mifcreants  who  may  be 
guilty  of  it — and  let  a  civic  crown  be 
awarded  the  man  who  ventures  his 
own  life  to  fave  that  of  a  fellow-crea 
ture  in  the  direft  diftrefs ! 

[From  the    Columbian    Magazine,  fo£ 
September,  1786.] 


THE 

COLUMBIAN  OBSERVER.* 

FIRST   NUMBER. 

*  To  catch  the  living  manners  as  they  rife.* 

JtLVE  RY  writer,  who  has  follow 
ed  the  career  of  the  great  Addifora, 
has  begun  his  numbers  with  a  defcrip- 
tion  of  himfelf,  his  views,  fituation, 
&c.  in  order,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  journey,  to  ingratiate  himfelf 
into  the  favour  of  his  fellow  travellers. 

*  From  the  American  Mufeum,  for  Feb. 
4791. 


TtfE    COLUMBIAN,    &C.          !£ 

From  this  cuitom  it  would  be  confi- 
dered  equally  improper  to  depart,  as 
for  a  clergyman  to  bigin  a  fermon 
•without  taking  a  text.  To  (hew  my 
refpect,  therefore,  for  the  reader  of 
my  lucubrations,  I  mall  give  a  pro 
logue  to  the  entertainment  I  am  about 
to  provide  for  him, 

I  am  of  a  very  ancient  family,  and 
have  the  honour  to  have  fome  of  the 
mca  blood  in  my  veins — being  del- 
cended  from  the  unfortunate  Atabali- 
ba,  who  fo  miferably  perifhed  through 
the  avarice  and  ignorance  of  Pizarro. 
By  the  female  line  I  boaft  of  an  ancef- 
tor,  the  great  Owen  Roe  O'Nial,  the 
afTerter  of  Irifh  liberty.  My  great 
.grandfather,  by  the  mother's  fidej 


f6  THE    COLUMBIAN 

came  over  to  this  country  with  the 
divine  Penn,  whofe  humane  andtole^- 
rant  fpirit  laid  the  foundation  of  fo 
much  happinefs  for  the  people  of  his 
province. 

Notwithftanding  the  grandeur  of  my 
parentage,  I  drew  my  firft  breath  in  a 
fmall  cottage  at  the  foot  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountain.  There,  free  as  air> 
I  imbibed  from  my  early  age  all  the 
ardour  and  patriotifm  of  fpirit  ufually 
generated  by  independence:  for  it  is 
but.  too  true,  that 

linud  facile  emtrguftt,  quorum  *»V- 

tutibus  cbftat 
Res  angufla  domu 


OBSERVER.  Jf 

5  With  a  few  books,  but  thofe  judici- 
oufly  chofen  by  a  watchful  parent,  I 
acquired  a  fenfe  of  the  "  Dignity  of 
"  human  nature/'  Ifav,  with  reli 
gious  gratitude  and  reverence,  the 
vaft  and  unparalleled  advantages  of 
our  weftern  hemifphere.  I  learned  to 
defpife  the  fopperies,  the  follies,  and 
the  pretended  refinements  of  the  old 
•world.  I  enjoyed,  with  rapture,  the 
boundlefs  profpe&s  of  happinefs  and 
virtue,  deftined,  as  I  hoped,  for  re 
mote  pofterity,  in  thefe  extenfive 
regions. 

From  Alleghany's  foot  I  removed 
to  the  metropolis  of  America,  as  Phi 
ladelphia  proudly  vaunts  herfelf.  I 
here  obferved  manners  prevailing, 


l£  THE    COLUMBIAN 

which,  when  I  had  read  of  them,  as* 
European,  I  had  defpifed.  I  faw  a 
few,  whofe  example  muft  have  a  pow 
erful  influence,  giving  a  taint  to  the 
general  mafs,  and  appearing  anxious  in 
endeavouring  to  accelerate  the  arrival 
of  that  degeneracy,  which  the  patriot 
endeavours  to  delay  as  far  as  poflible. 
Thefe  obf creations 9  it  may  be  reaibna- 
bly  prefumed,  gave  me  pain.  I  dread 
ed  that  the  afylum,  fo  much  boafted 
of,  would  be  deftroyed — -and  that 
from  a  ipreading  depravity,  the  ftate 
of  America,  the  revolution  of  which 
"  had  revived  the  hopes  of  good  men, 
"  and  promifed  an  opening  to  better 
"  times,  would  become  a  difcourage- 
i£  ment  to  future  efforts  in  favour  of 


OBSERVER.  19 

^liberty,  and  prove  only  an  opening 
"  to  a  new  fcene  of  human  degeneracy - 
«  and  mifery," 

And  is  there,  thought  I,  no  perfon 
to  (tep  for\vard,  and  endeavour  to  flem 
the  torrent  that  is  gradually  Tapping 
the  foundation  of  morals  and  manners, 
and  which,  if  fuffered  to  proceed  un* 
interruptedly,  will  bear  down  every 
thing  valuable  in  itsprogrefs? 

'As  I  have  ever  conceived,  that 
even  the  attempt  to  accompliih  great 
obje&s  is  laudable,  I  chofe  rather  to 
expofe  my  own  weaknefs,  than  be 
wanting  to  the  public  intereft,  I  de 
termined  to  communicate  to  my  fel 
low  citizens  the  obfervations  I  might 
occafiOnally  make,  in  hopes  of  being 


COLUMBIAN 

ferviceable  to  the  caufe  of  virtue, 
Happy,  too  happy  (hall  I  be,  if  I  be 
come  the  humble  inftrument  of  mam- 
ing  out  of  countenance  any  fingle  one 
of  the  follies  or  vices,  which  are  fa 
carefully  tranfplanted  from  their  native 
foil,  and  which,  like  other  ill  weeds, 
fiourim  apace,  and  threaten  to  choke 
up  the  valuable  plants. 


Confcious  of  my  inability, 
ed,  to  accomplifh,  to  the  extent  I  de- 
fire,  the  grand  objefc  I  have  in  view, 
I  have  enlifted  into  the  fervice  a  few 
aids  de  camp  who  will  occafionally 
furnim  their  fpeculations.  Hence  will 
arife  an  agreeable  diverfity  of  ftile  and 
fentiment  —  and  that  famenejs,  fo  lia- 


OBSERVER.  21 

ble  to  difguft  the  reader,  be  prevent 
ed. 

I  invite  every  man,  who  is  defirous 
to  advance  the  bed  interefts  of  fociety, 
to  co-operate  in  this  undertaking. — 
Perfonality  and  fcurrility  I  defpife, 
and  fhall  avoid.  But  general  fatire, 
however  fevere,  if  calculated  to  an- 
fwer  good  purpofes,  fhall  be  always 
acceptable. 

So  many  times  have  periodical 
elTayifts  aflumed  the  pen,  and  fo  great 
is  the  famenefs  of  their  fubjecls  of 
difcuffion,  that  mod:  of  them  are  nearly 
exhaufted  : — and  therefore  much  no 
velty  is  hardly  to  be  expected.  Ter- 
C 


22  THE    COLUMIAN,    &C. 

ence  faid  nearly  two  thoufand  years 
ago, 

"  Nullum  eft  jam  didhim,  quod  non  di&nni 
fit  prills." 

If  this  were  true  then,  the  reader 
will  probably  excufe  the  want  of  very 
novel  matter  in  his  friend, 

SIMON   SPECTACLIS, 

Philad.  Feb.  19,  1791. 


SECOND  NUMBER. 
MODERN  IMPROVEMENT. 

"  When  flatter'd  crimes  of  a  licentious  age 
F.eproach  our  filence,  and  demand  our  rage ; 
When  purchas'd  follies  from  each  diflant 

land, 

Improve  fo  faft  in  young  Columbia's  hand— 
To  chafe  our  fpleen,  when  themes  like  thefc 

increafe, 

Shall  panegyric  reign,  and  fatire  ceafe  J" 
POP  E. 


THE 


liberality  of  manners  and 
cuftoms,  daily  introducing  into  our 
country,  muft  afford  the  highefl  grati- 
iication  to  every  lover  of  elegance  and 
refinement.  We  are  as  rapidly  as  hap 
pily  diffipating  the  rtifl  -m&  prejudices 
of  pad  times,  and,  with  a  ipirit  of 

emulation  beyond  our  years,   copying 
P.  •> 


24  THE    COLUMBIAN 

the  graces  and  virtues  of  England, 
France,  and  Italy.  To  particularize 
every  inftance,  in  which  we  excel  our 
anceftors,  would  require  more  time 
and  room  than  I  can  now  devote  to 
the  purpofe — indeed,  it  would  be  be 
yond  my  abilities,  to  do  juftice  to  fo 
capacious  a  fubjecl:.  I  mall,  there 
fore,  for  the  prefent,  confine  myfelf 
to  one  leading  feature  in  modern  man 
ners,  wherein  their  fuperiority  to  thofe 
of  old  times  is  too  obvious  not  to  com 
mand  the  afTent  of  the  molt  fuperlicial 
obferver. 

The  feature  I  mean,  is  the  relaxa 
tion  of  the  odious  reftraints  fo  ex 
tremely  difagreeable  in  the  married 
.  ftate.  Heretofore,  when  a  man  or 


OBSERVER.  25 

woman  made  choice  of  a  partner  for 
life,  that  partner  was  confidered  as 
entitled  to  the  chief  of  his  or  her 
cares  and  attentions.  Any  breach  of 
this  rule  was  rldlculoufly  regarded  as  a 
violation  of  the  laws  of  decorum  and 
propiiety,  which  entailed  difcrediton 
the  offending  party.  The  hufband 
gallanted  his  wife,  to  the  theatre,  to 
Balls,  to  afTemblies,  to  concerts,  and 
to  private  parties.  The  in/ipid  mono 
tony  of  iiich  a  life  mud  be  to  the  lad: 
degree  irkforne  and  difgufting;  as  one 
of  the  higheft  gratifications  of  human 
nature  is  variety. 

Behold  \  what  a  charming  contrafl  is 
exhibited  at  prefent!  In  the  fafniona- 
ble  world — (and  muft  we  not  expeft, 

' 


26  THE    COLUMBIAN 

that  this  refinement  will,  in  due  fea- 
fon,  like  every  other,  defcend  to  the 
lower  claries?) — a  man  is  profcribed 
from  attending  on  his  wife,  or  appear-* 
ing  in  public  with  her.  He  may  gra 
tify  his  paffion  for  variety  by  taking 
a  new  lady  under  his  protection  every 
day  of  his  life.  How  ineffably  agreea 
ble,  how  delightful  a  change! 

This  will  introduce,  among  its 
other  advantages,  an  unufual  degree 
of  harmony  in  the  married  (rate.  The 
chief  caufe,  if  we  beleive  the  writer 
of  that  Twsnz/and  edifying  comedy,  the 
fchool  for  fcandal,  why  ladies  are  fo 
refra&cry  and  unmanageable  with 
their  hufbands,  is  the  confcioufnefs  cf 
pofleffing what?  why  thit  rldlci^ 


OBSERTER.  2J 

Ions,  old  fafhioned  quality,  called  chaf- 
tity — a  quality,  which,  however  fuita- 
ble  to  the  days  of  ignorance  and  bar- 
larifm,  on  the  firft  fettlement  of  this 
country,  ought  to  be  entirely  laughed 
cut  of  countenance  at  prefent.  Every 
thing,  therefore,  that  has  a  tendency 
to  extirpate  this  troublefome  quality, 
mud:  be  productive  of  peace  and  har 
mony.  And  I  believe  no  man  in  his 
fenfes  will  deny,  that  the  improve 
ment  in  queflion  will  have  the  happi- 
eft  tendency  that  could  be  wifhed,  to 
banifh  chaftity  and  all  her  troullefomc 
retinue  from  our  fhores.  Perhaps, 
they  may  fly  for  refuge  among  the 
Creek  Indians,  to  the  court  of  the 

pdiffant  prince,    Alexander   M'Gil- 
C4 


28  THE   COLUMBIAN 

livray.  Such  antiquated  beings  are 
fit  only  for  the  uncultivated  favages — 
they  ought  not  to  difgrace  fuch  an 
advanced  flate  of  civilization  as  we 
can  boafr. 

"  When  a  lady,"  fays  Mr.  Sheri 
dan,  the  author  of  that  valuable  come- 
dy  I  have  already  mentioned,  "  com 
mits  a  TRIFLING  faux  pas,  me  grows 
cautious,  and  ready  to  humour  and 
agrse  v/ith  her  hufband.'*  This  excel- 
lent  and  religious  maxim,  which  I 
hope  no  perfon  will  controvert,  eflab- 
lifhes  beyond  a  doubt  my  pofitipn, 
that  this  new  mode  will  be  productive 
of  matrimonial  concord. 

*  School'for  Scandal — page  40,  American 
edition. 


OBSERVER.  29 

Another  of  the  benefits  of  this  ex- 
panfion  of  the  human  mind,  is  the 
catholicifm  it  will  introduce  with  ref- 
pec~t  to  children.  As  a  hufband  will 
not  in  future  have  the  fame  degree  of 
certainty,  that  his  wife's  children  be- 
long  properly  fpeaking,  to  himfelf,  he 
will  be  no  longer  fo  contemptibly  and 
illiberally  contracted  in  his  regards  and 
cares  of  them,  as  parents  ufed  to  be, 
in  times  of  prejudice.  Moreover,  it 
is  to  be  hoped  and  expected,  that  he 
will  confer  the  fame  favours  on  his 
neighbours,  as  they  on  him.  Hence, 
a  community  of  children  will  be  intro 
duced  among  us,  in  a  much  more 
agreeable  way,  than  that  attempted  in 
one  of  the  old  republics.  HOY/ 


$O  THE    COLUMBIAN 

charming,  then,  will  it  be,  that  a 
man  may  point  out  liienej/es  of  hlmfelf 
in  the  houfes  of  aim  oil  all  his  ac 
quaintance!  The  political  good  ten 
dency  of  this  is  equal  to  its  beneficial 
moral  effects. 

Among  the  French,  that  nation  of 
gallantry  and  refinement,  the  Jllff 
jlarched  manners  that  have  hitherto 
prevailed  in  this  country,  have  been 
long  exploded.  A  lady's  bed-cham 
ber,  \vhich  here  has  been  too  gene 
rally  confidered  as  herfanfiitm  fanflo- 
rum,  impervious  to  every  one  but  the 
privileged  hujband,  there  yields  to  the 
fuperior  influence  of  fafhion  and  gal 
lantry.  A  gentleman  has  free  accefr 
to  it  in  the  morning,  before  the  lady 


OBSERVER.  3£ 

rifes,  and  choofes  it  as  the  mod  pro 
per  place  for  making  enquiries  after 
her  health.  As  the  ladies  univerfally 
paint  there,  perhaps  this  falhion  was 
introduced  in  order  to  give  the  gentle 
men  an  opportunity  of  feeing,  before 
the  application  of  the  colours,  what 
could  not  be  feen  afterwards- — that  is, 
the  ladies'  faces  in  their  natural  (late. 
A  lady,  without  the  fmalleft  cmbar- 
ralTment, 

"  When  from   her  iheets  her  lovely  form 

fne  lifts, 

*'  She  begs,  you  juil  would  turn  you,  while 
-       ihe  fhifts."* 

This  elegant,  uncorJl  rained  trait  of 
*  Young's  love  of  fame. 


32  THE    COLUMBIAN 

manners,  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  adop* 
ted  by  our  great  people,  who  have  fo 
long  and  fo  happily  diftinguifhed 
themfelves  in  the  honourable^  independ 
ent ',  and  patriotic  art  of  imitating  the 
modes  and  manners  of  Europe,-— 
•which  are  fo  wonderfully  calculated  for 
this  hemifphere. 

The  next  ftep  we  have  to  take — 
and  which  will  naturally  follow — is 
the  introduction  of  c'lcejleifm  from  the 
Italians.  I  have  been  much  furprifed 
that  the  French,  who  have  always 
paid  fuch  particular  attention  to  the 
refinement  of  morals  and  manners, 
have  never  borrowed  this  admirable 
cuftom  from  their  tranfalpine  neigh 
bours.  This  is  the  more  fingular,  as. 


OBSERVER.  33 

it  is  materially  connected  with,  and 
feems  a  necefTary  confequence  of,  the 
leading  features  of  their  matrimonial 
fyftem.  This  is  one  proof,  among 
thoufands  that  might  be  produced,  of 
nations  in  a  'progreffive  (late  of  im 
provement,  flopping  fhort,  before 
they  arived  at  the  acme  of  'perfection . 
But  I  hope  our  moral  and  political 
career  will  not  be  thus  difgracefully 
marked.  I  trufr,  as  we  receive  here 
the  hardy  German,  the  vivacious  Ita- 
lan,  the  volatile  Frenchman,  the 
grave  Englifhman,  the  hofpitable 
Irifhman,  and  the  induftrious  Scotch 
man  ;  that  we  mail  cull  from  the  man- 
fiers  of  thefe  various  nations,  an<J 


34  THE    COLUMBIAN 

form  one  national  fyftem  fuperior  to 
that  of  any  of  them. 

Confidently  with  this  idea,  from 
England  we  {hall  borrow  the  mode  of 
facilitating  divorces,  from  which  the 
French  and  Italians  are  in  fome  de 
gree  precluded,  by  a  tenet  of  their  re* 
ligion,  which  prohibits  a  fecond  mar 
riage,  until  the  death  of  one  of  the 
parties.  But  our  mother  country 
(mother  let  her  be,  in  dictating  our 
manners,  as  well  as  in  having  fettled 
the  continent)  has  rendered  fepara- 
tion  in  the  fafhionable  world  as  eafy 
as  could  reafonably  be  defired.  Thus, 
for  inftance,  when  a  married  'pair  be 
come  tired  of  each  other,  and  the  lady 
has  chofen,  among  her  male  friends,  % 


OBSERVER.  35 

future  help-mate,  with  whofe  talents 
{he  is  well  acquainted,  the  three 
agree,  that  the  wife  and  her  gallant 
fhall  be  found  in  fuch  a  fituation,  as 
to  warrant  a  full  for  divorce ;  which  is 
immediately  commenced — the  parties 
are  feparated — and  the  lady  trium 
phantly  led  to  the  altar  by  her  para 
mour. 

This  is,  in  my  humble  opinion,  the 
ne  plus  ultra  of  improvement  in  this 
way.  Any  attempts  to  change  the 
fyftem  henceforward,  muft  proceed  in 
a  retrogade  -direction.  I  am  loft  in 
aftonifhment  and  admiration  at  this 
important  fecret,  referved  for  this  age 
of  difcovery.  What  ineftimable  ccn- 
fecpences  it  muft  have,  in  a  political 


36  THE    COLUMBIAN 

moral,  and  religious  point  of  view,  is 
very  evident  to  even  a  Bseotian  capa 
city. 

One  of  the  good  effects  of  the  mo 
dern  fyflem,  which  had  almoft  efca- 
ped  my  notice,  is  the  encouragement 
it  will  afford  to  the  honourable  and 
ufeful  ftate  of  ctfibacy,  which  has  fo 
often  miftakenly  been  the  object  of 
legiflative  vengeance,  among  nations 
of  contracted  manners.  Many  jealous 
pate.d  fellows,  who  are  incapable  of 
facrificing  their  fqueamffi  fentiments 
at  the  fhrineoffamion,  will  doubtlefs 
be  fearful  of  embarking  on  the  hyme 
neal  ocean,  left, 

'  A  brace  of  proud  antlers  their  brows 
*  fliould  adorn.' 


OBSERVER..  37 

Aficl  thus  we  fhall  have  a  hardy 
race  of  bachelors,  ready  for  any  fer- 
vice  their  fair  country-women  may 
Impofe  on  them.  The  advantages 
arifiag  hence,  are  too  felf-evident  to 
require  illuftration.  Many  married 
men  of  my  acquaintance  can  bear 
feeling  teftimoay  on  this  fubjecl. 

It  is  a  diftreffing  reflection  to  me, 
that  I  know  not  to  \yhom  the  credit 
of  introducing  this  fafhion  is  juftly 
due.  Were  I  acquainted  with  the 
parties,  I  (hould  pay  them  that  tribute 
of  honour  and  reverence  which  their 
conduct  fo  richly  deferves.  But  an 
enlightened  pofterity,  while  enjoying 
the  benefits  of  this  new  fydem,  will 
not  be  unmindful  of  them.  Their 

D 


38          THE    COLUMBIAN,    &C. 

reputation  will  furvive  to  the  latefl 
times.  They  will  be  clafTed  with  the 
exalted  characters  of  other  nations, 
Ivho  have  had  the  undaunted  refolu- 
tion  to  defy  the  fhafts  of  ridicule  and 
fatire,  and  fpurn  the  (hackles  of  mame, 
religion,  morals,  and  manners. 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  ai,  1791. 


THE 

COLUMBIAN  OBSERVER. 

FOURTH   NUMBER.* 
70  Mr.  Simon  Sfe&acles. 

J.  HAVE  read  in  your  fecond 
number  the  ironical  defence  of  the 
prevalent  faihion  in  high  life,  of  huf- 
bands  not  appearing  in  public  with 
their  wives.  This  fafhion,  which 
deferves  the  utmoft  reprobation,  is 
pregnant  with  more  and  greater  evils, 

*  No.  III.  was  written  by  a  friend,  and 
is  therefore  omitted. 

D2 


4O  THE    COLUMBIAN 

than  aimed  any  other  known  in  our 
country.  I  am  happy  you  have  ani 
madverted  on  it — and  hope  it  will, 
by  the  efforts  of  our  writers,  be  pro- 
fcribed  from  thefe  dates. 

I  beg  leave  to  communicate  to  you 
a  (lory,  for  the  truth  of  which  I 
pledge  myfelf.  It  \\ill  place  in  a 
ilriking  light  the  confequences  to  be 
dreaded  from  this  pernicious  cuflom, 
which  we  have  but  lately  imported 
from  the  old  world.  It  may  happily 
open  the  eyes  of  fome  of  our  deluded 
people  of  rank,  and  enable  them  to 
clifcover  the  precipice  they  are  prepar 
ing  for  the  virtue  and  happinefs  of 
.  their  country. 


OBSERVER.  41 

Maria  Arnold  was  the  daughter  of 
a  refpe&able  merchant  at  Hartford,  in 
Connedlicut,  and  was,  by  bounteous 
providence,  endowed  with  every  ac- 
complimment  of  head  and  heart,  that 
could  qualify  her  to  a  61:  in  the  moil 
exalted  ftation.  When  arrived  at 
fixteen  years  of  age,  her  hand  was 
fought  after  by  numbers  of  the  firfl 
rate  chara&ers  in  the  city.  Among 
the  red  was  Mr.  Henry  Winthrop, 
an  eminent  merchant,  whofe  congeni 
ality  of  difpofition  foon  acquired  her 
efteem  and  regard.  After  an  ac 
quaintance  of  a  year,  me  received 
him  on  the  footing  of  a  lover;  and  ill 
fome  months  afterwards,  they  were 

03 


42  THE    COLUMBIAN 

happily  united  together,  at  the  hyme 
neal  altar. 

Become  the  wife  of  Mr.  Winthrop, 
her  virtues  had  a  more  extenfive 
fphere  of  a61ion — and  expanded  into 
the  warmed:  affection  for  her  huiband 
— tendernefs  for  her  children  (of 
whom  flie  prefented  one  to  her  huf- 
band  every  thirteen  or  fourteen 
months) — chanty  and  regard  for  her 
domeftics —  benevolence  and  friend- 
fhip  for  the  circle  of  her  acquaint 
ance. 

When  fae  was  in  her  twenty- 
feventh  year,  the  happy  mother  of  fix 
children,  efleemed  and  refpected  by 
all  who  knew  her — beloved  by  her 
hulband  and  children,  the  late  war 


OBSERVER.  43 

broke  out  by  the  fatd  engagement  at 
Lexington.  Mr.  Winthrop,  attached 
to  the  Britifh  government,  and  accuf- 
tomed  to  look  up  to  Great  Britain 
with  awe  and  reverence,  could  not 
relifh  the  idea  of  redding  her  power, 
which  he  regarded  as  a  political  facri- 
lege.  He  determined  to  make  fale  of 
his  property,  and  retire  to  England. 
This  deOgn  he  fpecdily  carried  into 
execution — and  arrived  there  early  in 
the  year  1777. 

PofTefTed  of  an  immenfe  fortune — > 
fond  of  high  life — and  allured  by  the 
attractions  of  the  fafhioDable  world, 
he  commenced  a  career  of  gaiety  and 
dimpation.  The  mi;U.:;l  attachment 

between  him  and  his  wife,  which  had 
D4 


44  THE    COLUMBIAN 

fubfifted  uninterruptedly,  and  had 
indeed  acquired  new  force  every  year 
of  their  connection,  while  they  re 
mained  in  this  country,  was  gradually 
weakened  by  the  courfe  of  life  they 
led  in  London.  On  his  arrival,  he 
paid  the  fame  kind  of  attention  to  his 
beloved  partner,  that  he  had  been 
accuflomed  to.  But  he  was  told  that 
it  was  a  mere  bore  for  a  married  man 
to  gallant  his  wife — that  he  would  be 
confidered  as  a  mod  unfafhionable 
monfter,  mould  he  be  feen  in  her  com 
pany  in  public — and  that  any  appear 
ance  of  fondnefs  for  her,  if  difcover- 
ed,  would  fubjecl  him  to  the  facers 
andfcorn  of  his  acquaintance. 


OBSERVER.  45; 

Thefe  leffons  he  found  it  very  dif 
ficult  to  digeft.  His  ardent  love 
could  not  brook  fuch  difguife  and  dif- 
fijnulation.  For  a  long  time,  there 
fore,  he  remained  unfamionable  in 
this  particular,  and  in  fometimes 
bringing  his  children  into  company. 
But  as  inceffant  exhortations  and  in- 
ceflant  ridicule  will  turn  almbft  any 
mortal  from  a  purpofe,  however  fixed ; 
he  at  length  gave  way  to  faftiion,  and 
as  caudoufly  avoided  his  wife's  com 
pany  in  public,  as  he  would  the  fociety 
of  one  of  the  furies. 

Among  the  gentlemen  who  beftow- 
ed  their  cares  and  attentions  on  Mrs. 
Winthrop,  whofe  beauty  (hone  with 
mod  diftin "uiflied  1  uftre,  was  Sir  J ofeph 


46  THE  COLUMBIAN 

Middleton,  a  man  whofe  fole  rule  of 
conduct  was  the  refined  fubtle  fyftem 
of  Chefterfield.  He  had,  on  the 
plan  of  his  mailer,  facrificed  largely  to 
the  graces ;  and  his  facrifices  had  not 
been  in  vain.  To  the  attractions  of  a 
fine  perfon,  and  enchanting  addrefs, 
he  added  a  mofr,  refined  and  highly 
cultivated  underflanding.  He  had 
travelled — and  engrafted  the  moft 
elegant  of  the  manners,  of  France  and 
Italy  on  thofe  of  England.  Had  not 
his  heart  been  depraved  by  the  {educ 
tions  of  fafhion,  he  would  have  been 
an  incomparable  character.  But  into 
moil:  of  the  vices  of  the  times  he  en 
tered — more,  however,  from  a  deter- 


OBSERVER.  47 

mination  to  be  a  falhionable  man,  than 
from  the  impulfe  of  inclination. 

From  the  moment  that  Sir  Jofeph 
fmgled  out  Mrs.  Winthrop  as  the  object 
of  his  gallantry,  me  rejected  the  reft 
of  the  fur  roun  ding  crowd-  To  Vaux- 
hall,  to  plays,  to  aflemblies,  to  court, 
he  daily  led  her,  and,  before  many 
months  had  elapfed,  almoft  entirely 
eradicated  from  her  mind  every  trace 
of  love  or  affection  for  her  hufband. 

Still  was  flie  virtuous  even  in 
thought.  She  did  not  know,  or  allow 
herfelf  to  believe,  the  hold  Sir  Jofeph 
daily  gained  on  her  affections.  He  faw 
clearly,  that  to  proceed  with  any  hopes 
of  fuccefs,  it  would  be  neceflary  to 
proceed  with  caution.  Had  he,  in 


48  THE    COLUMBIAN      . 

an  early  ftage  of  their  acquaintance, 
even  hinted  at  his  real  intentions,  me 
would  have  fpurned  him  from  her 
with  the  moft  profound  difdain  and 
contempt.  But  this  he  carefully  avoi 
ded,  until  he  was  fully  aflured  of  his 
conqueft.  When  this  was  the  cafe, 
he  only  lay  in  wait  for  an  opportunity 
to  perpetrate  his  black  defigns. 

• 

And  here,  Mr  Obferver,  allow  me 
to  paufe  for  a  moment,  and  recal 
your  attention  to  the  former  fituation 
of  this  lovely  but  falling  angel.  When 
pofTefled  of  virtue,  me  would  have 
been  an  ornament  to  a  throne — for  as 
the  poet  juilly  obferves, 


OBSERVER.  49 

fi  Virtue  is   beauty — but    -when  charms  of 

mind, 
ce  With   elegance   of    outward    form    are 

join'd — 
"  When  youth  makes  fuch  bright   objects 

dill  more  bright — 
"  And  fortune  fets  them  in  the  flrongefc 

light- 

"  'Tis  all  below  of  heaven  we  may  view, 
"  And  all  but  adoration  is  their  due." 

But  now  her  mind  is  in  part  clcpra- 
ved — the  remainder  of  Sir  Jofeph's 
vile  triumph  will  coil  him  little  trou 
ble. 

One  night  at  a  mafquerade  ball,  he 
artfully  prevailed  on  her  to  drink  pret 
ty  freely  of  an  intoxicating  cordial, 
\\  hich,  aided  by  the  heat  and  inflam 
mation  of  her  blood,  occafioned  by 


JO  THE    COLUMBIAN 

dancing,  Toon  afcended  her  head,  and 
deprived  her  of  her  faculties.  On  her 
return  homewards,  he  gave  the  coach 
man  directions  to  (top  at  the  houfe  of 
an  infamous  minifter  of  his  pleafures. 
Here,  taking  advantage  of  her  helplefs 
(ituation,  and  vowing  eternal  love  and 
fecrecy,  he  robbed  her  of  that  inefti- 
mable  jewel,  which  no  tears,  no  repen 
tance  can  ever  reftore  to  loft,  undone 
woman. 

Sunk  now  into  the  depths  of  infa 
my,  me  felt,  for  a  time,  the  keened 
remorfe  for  the  crime  me  had  been 
guilty  of.  But  Sir  Jofeph  took  too 
much  pains,  not  to  remove  her  anxi 
ety.  Frequent  repetitions  rendered 
her  fo  callous  and  unconcerned,  that 


OBSERVER.  51 

her  guilt  foon  became  public,  and  at 
length  reached  Mr.  Winthrop's  ears. 
This  roufed  him  from  the  lethargy 
into  which  his  blind  purfuit  of  a  pre- 
pofterous  fafhion  had  thrown  him. 
By  the  agency  of  a  trufty  fervant,  he 
gained  information  of  an  affignation 
between  them.  Ke  went  to  the 
place,  and  was  on  the  point  of  furpri- 
fing  them,  but,  notwithstanding  all 
his  vigilance,  a  confidante  of  his 
wife's  gave  her  notice  of  his  approach, 
fo  early  as  juft  to  allow  Sir  Jofeph 
time  to  efcape  by  a  back  window. 
However,  he  left  behind  him  his  hat 
and  part  of  his  clothes,  which  afford 
ed  fufncient  proofs  of  his  villainy,  and 
of  the  guilt  of  Mrs.  Winthrop. 


52  THE    COLUMBIAN 

The  injured  hufband,  in  the  firft 
moments  of  his  rage,  was  on  the  point 
of  facriScing  her  to  his  jufr.  refentment. 
But  an  inftant's  reflection  made  him 
determine  not  to  imbrue  his  hands  in 
female  blood.  He  refolved  to  take 
vengeance  of  the  adulterer — and  next 
morning  fent  him  a  challenge,  which 
was  accepted.  They  met.  They 
fought.  Mr.  Wiothrop  received  a 
mortal  wound — and  expired,  exprciT- 
ing  his  forrow  at  having  launched  into 
fuch  afcene  of  diffipation,  which  had 
deftroyed  his  happinefs — blafted  his 
wife's  reputation  irretrievably — and 
hurried  hirnfelf  into  an  untimely 


OBSERVER.  53 

This  dreadful  cataftrophe  nearly- 
brought  her  to  a  fenfe  of  her  infamy. 
— She  caft  a  retrofpective  eye  on 
the  fcenes  which  me  had  paiTed 
through — (he  bewailed  the  deplorable 
gulph  in  which  fhe  was  fwallowed  up 
— and  made  many  ftrong  refolutions  - 
of  reformation,  \vhich,  for  a  fhort 
time,  fhe  endeavoured  to  carry  into 
effect.  But  Sir^Jofeph  renewed  his 
efforts  to  replunge  her  into  her  former 
condition.  For  a  time  he  was  unfuc- 
"cefsful.  But  at  length,  when  the 
poignancy  of  her  grief  was  fomewhat 
abated,  and  her  contrition  propor- 
tionably  diminifhed,  fheMened  again 
to  his  infinuations — and  was  prevail 
ed  upon  to  accept  the  hand  of  the 


38          THE    COLUMBIAN,    &C. 

murderer  of  her  hufband,  who  now 
calls  her  his.  They  are  immerfed  in 
all  the  fcenes  of  profligacy  and  vice, 
•which  the  capital  of  England  affords 
-—and  I  think  you  will  allow,  they 
furnim  an  awful  lefTon  of  the  danger 
of  adopting  modifh  manners,  and  of 
departing  from  the  paths  of  -honour 
and  rectitude.  L.  M. 

March  1 6,   1791. 

P.  S.  I  fhould  have  mentioned  to 
>you,  that  her  eldefl  daughter,  neglect 
ed  and  forfaken  by  her  parents,  was 
lad  year  feduced  by  a  lord,  with 
whom  (he  lives  as  his  mlftrefs — her  fe- 
cond  ran  away  with  a  dancing  mafter, 
and  her  third  with  a  hair-dreffer. 


[55  ] 

[From  the  Pennsylvania  Evening  Herald, 
April  2,  1785.] 

FUNDING-BILL. 

i «  Conftable  (hall  feize,   and  take 

into  his  poffeflion,  fuch  and  fo  much  of  the 
goods,  chatties  and  effects  of  faid  delinquent, 
as  fhall  be  neceffary." — "  And  if  fufficient 
effects  cannot  be  found,  whereon  to  make 
diftrefs,  fuch  conftable  fliall  take  the  body  of 
any  fuch  delinquent,  and  deliver  him  or  her 
to  the  fheriff,  or  keeper  of  the  county  jail, 
who  fhall  detain  fuch  delinquent  in  clofe 
cuftody,  without  bail  or  mainprize,  until 
payment  made."* 

«  IS  this,  good  God!"  ex 
claimed  I,  "  is  this  freedom?  Is  this 
what  we  have  been  fo  long  contend 
ing  for?  Is  this  the  fruit  of  a  feven, 

*  See  the  funding-bill  of  the  ftate  of  Pens- 
fylvania,  fe&ion  39.  % 

E   2 


56  FUNDING-BILL. 

years  war?  Farewell  to  heaven-born 

Liberty!" 

A  cynical  old  man,  who  fat  in  a 
corner,  his  eyes  half  (hut,  and  envelo 
ped  in  the  fmoke  which  her  emitted 
from  his  mouth,  in  large  volumes, 
knocking  the  dud:  out  of  his  pipe,  and 
flaring  me  ftedfaftly  in  the  face,  aiked 
me  if  I  had  read  Sidney,  Locke, 
Price,  or  any  of  the  other  celebrated 
writers  on  the  fubject  of  liberty,  and 
if  I  underflood  what  was  the  real  im 
port  of  the  word  ?  My  mind  being 
fomewhat  untuned,  and  not  choofing 
to  enter  the  lifts  of  controverfy  with 
a  genius  who  had  fo  forbidding  an 
appearance  as  that  which  prefented 
itfelf  to  niy  view, .  I  replied  in  the  ne- 


FXJNDIKG-BILL.  57 

gative.  He  then  entered  into  a  mod 
elaborate  difcjuihtion  on  the  nature  of 
liberty — faid  that  felf-taxation  was  its 
viiry  fum  and  eflence — and  was  pro 
ceeding  in  a  moil  copious  and  fluent 
harangue,  when,  wifhing  to  indulge 
a  little  reflection,  I  called  the  waiter, 
defired  him  to  pay  hirhfelf  out  of  a  dol 
lar,  for  the  coffee  I  hldjufi  drank — 
wiflied  theharanguer  a  good  day — and 

returned  home 

Here,  when  I  became  a  little  com- 
pofed,  I  endeavoured  to  picture  to  my 
imagination  the  numbers  who  muft 
inevitably  tafle  of  the  kilter  cup  of 
mlfery  "  by  virtue  of  this  act."  Sei 
zures,  yen  dues,  imprifonments,  croud- 
ed  on  my  mind  without  er.d — While 
' 


58  FUNDING-BILL. 

I  was  in  this  fympathetic  frame  of 
thought,  the  cafe  of  an  unfortunate 
foldier,  my  bofom  friend,  myPylades, 
fuggefted  itfelf  to  my  perturbed  imagi 
nation. 

My  Pylades,  as  I  ufed  to  call  him , 
in  return  for  the  name  of  Orefies, 
with  which  he  honoured  me,  had 
borne  the  fatigues  and  hardfhips,  the 
hunger  and  thirft,  of  a  feven  years  war 
— had  been  in  almoft  ail  the  principal 
engagements — had  been  feveral  times 
taken  prifoner,  and  put  on  board 
guard-fhips,  where  he  experienced 
what  would  have  deftroycd  perhaps 
any  other  man In  all  thefe  vari 
ous  fcenes,  thefe  viciffitudes  of  for-* 


FUNDING-BILL.  $g 

tune,  he  had  concluded  himfelf  with 
a  heroifm,  a  magnanimity,  which 
would  put  to  fhame  the  vounted  fables 
of  antiquity — After  having  undergone 
all  this,  he  had,  a  few  days  previous 
to  the  termination  of  the  war,  fallen  in 
defence  of  that  country,  whofe  rights 
and  liberties  he  prized  more  than  ex 
igence  itfelf. A  tender  fpoufe  and 

fix  lifping  children,  the  elded  not 
eight  years  old,  would, in  a  fhort  fpace, 
have  been  bled  with  his  prefence,  had 
not  a  fiend,  in  fhape  of  an  Indian, 

cut  fhort  his  precious  life 

Ifabella,  ill  fated  Ifabella,  the  part 
ner  of  all  his  joys,  andfolace  of  all  his 
cares,  was  panting  in  hourly  expecta 
tion  of  his  long  wifhed  for  return :— < 


60  FUNDING-BILl. 

her  tender  heart  throbbed  with  every 
breath  of  wind,  and  the  fmalleft  mo 
tion,  which  flattered  her  with  the  de- 
Itulve  hope  of  embracing  once  more 
the  lord  of  her  foul ; — never !  never ! 
to  be  realized! — 

Notv\  ithflanding  every  poffible  pre 
caution  was  taken  to  prepare  her  for 
the  direful  news,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
confequences  to  be  feared  from  an  ab 
rupt  difclofure  of  her  woe,  fhe  funk 
liftlefs  on  her  couch,  when  the  luck- 
lefs  tidings  reached  her  ear,  doomed 
never  to  hear  a  found  of  joy! — One 
fit  followed  clofe  on  the  heels  of  ano 
ther  for  two  days  fuccefiively — and  at 
length,  the  extreme  violence  of  her 
grief  having  fomevvha:  fabfided,  (he  fell 


FUNDING-BILL.  6l 

into  that  (late  of  torpor  and  apathy, 
which  too  often  fucceeds  the  paroxyfms 
of  madnefs  and  defpair. 

Her  only  not-adored  Pylades  had 
expended  the  little  patrimony  he  was 
in  pofTeiiion  of,  in  fupport  of  the  caufe 
of  freedom  and  America — She  was 
therefore  left,  in-  every  fenfe  of  the 
word, deflate ;  and  the  final!  provifion 
{he  v/as  entitled  to,  as  a  recompenfe 
for  his  ferviccs,  \vs.s  totally  inadequate 
to  the  fuppcrt  of  herfelf  and  tender 


offspring !-- 


And  perhaps,  fays  I,  in  fomc  fhort 
time  hence,  the  amiable,  the  engaging 
Ifabella,  with  acccr,.ipiifl..nients  to 
ido:n  acrov/n,  andtofofien  and  har- 
mc^ize  baibarity  itfelf  in  human  fhnne, 
E5 


62  FUNDING-BILL. 

perhaps  (lie  fhall  feel  therelentlefs  hand 
of  fome  harpy  catchpole,  "  by  virtue 
of  the  funding  bill" The  melan 
choly  train  of  reflection  into  which 
this  threw  me,  made  me  fink  into 
a  reverie,  in  which  I  conceived  Ifabella 
was  arTefTed  at  a  fum,  trivial  indeed 
to  perfons  in  affluence,  but  enormous 
to  her — I  beheld  her  borne  down  by 
the  weight  of  affliction,  lying  onthe  bed 
of  ficknefs,  without  a  being  to  adminif- 
ter  comfort  to  her,  except  her  dear 
children,  the  only  objects  of  her  care, 
on  whom  fhe  caft  many  a  \vifhful  eye, 
recommending  them  to  the  care  of  her 

omnipotent  Creator 

Thus  afflicted,  thus  forlorn,  thus 
woe  begone,  a  man  of  uncouth  form,in 
the  guife  of  a  COLLECTOR,  made 


FUNDING-BILL.  63 

his  appearance — "  Madam,"  he  fays, 
*'  I  come  for  ten  dollars,  the  fum 
at  which  you  have  been  aflefTed  by  vir 
tue  of  a  late  aft  of  afTembly" — With 
faultering  accents,  and  pallid  counte 
nance,  fhe  articulated  an  aflurance, 
that  "  if  her  life  was  at  flake  for  a 
tenth  of  that  fum,  fhe  muft  incur  the 

forfeit" «  Well,    madam,"  fald 

he,  "  with  aperfeft/z^/ro/V,  dart 
ing  a  moft  ferocious  look  at  the  heart 
broken  mourner,  you  mufl  abide  the 
confequences." 

After  a  tedious  interval  of  forty 
days,  the  colle&or  made  his  return  to 
a  juflice  of  peace,  who  direftly,  with 
out  enquiry,  iflued  his  warrant  to  a 
confiable  to  didrefs  and  difirair^  and 


64  FUNDING-BILL. 

in  default,  to  take  the  body  of  the 
DELINQUENT  into  cuftody 

Methought  I  beheld  this  (lone- 
hearted  con  (table  poffefs  himfelf  of 
every  article  the  houfe  contained — — 
while  Ifabella  lay  diflblved  in  a  trance 
into  which  his  unfeafonable  appear 
ance,  and  rough,  favage  behaviour 

had  cad  her the  two  eldeft  of  her 

young  ones,  wailing  and  lamenting 
around  her,  and  the  others  gazing, 
with  childifh  aflonifhment,  at  a  fcene, 
the  horrors  of  which  they  were  to 
tally  incapable  of  conceiving. 

A  few  days  after  feizure,  a  public 
vendue  converted  her  little  furniture 
to  money,  but  fo  deftitute  had  (he 
been,  that  there  was  a  deficiency  ia 


FUNDING-BILL.  6$ 

the  fum  at  which  fhe  had  been  affef* 

fed. 

My  heart  funk  within  me,  on  con 
templating  the  dreadful  cataftrophe, 
which  clofed  the  melancholy  trage- 

The  conftable,  with  a  pofTe,  came 
andfeized  the  unfortunate  delinquent! 
He  dragged  her,  half  dead  with  afflic 
tion,  diftrefs,  and  defpair,  through 
the  ftreets,  to  a  loathfome  jail, 
Here  fhe  was  reduced  to  have  recourfe 
to  abed  of  draw!  She,  who  had  been 
accuftomed  to  the  endearments,  the 
care,  the  attention,  of  a  fond,  an  ador 
ing  hufband,  whofe  chief  ihidy  had 
been  to  anticipate  her  every  wifh,  was 
now,  fad  reverfe !  without  a  being  tQ 


66  FUNDING-BILL. 

hand  her  a  draught  of  water,  to  al 
lay  the  burning  heat  of  a  fever,  which 
had  feized  and  was  preying  on  her — " 
And  in  a  few  days,  DEATH  carne  to 
her  relief,  and  called  away  her  ange 
lic  foul,  tothofe  regions  of  never-end 
ing  happinefs,  which  God  has  prepar 
ed  for  thofe  he  loves.  Her  breath  was 
clofed  in  prayers  for  her  infants,  and 
for  the  forgivenefs  of  her  perfecutors! 
Gracious  Power!  (ejaculated  I) 
that  watched:  over  the  tranfactions'of 
this  fublunary  world,  how  many  fuch 
fcenes  will  a  fhort  time  realize,  per 
haps  in  every  corner  of  the  (late ! 

Is  the  "-afylum"  v.-hich,  we  fondly 
fiattered  ourfelves,  had  been  prepared 
"  for  the  diftreiTed  and  perfecutcd  of 


FUNDING-BILL.  67 

"  all  nations,"  deflroyed? -Is  the 

pleating  iilufion  vanifhed  ?  Have,  we 
been  but  dreaming  of  felicity,  and  do 
•u  e  now  awake  to  mere  "  vanity  and 

"vexation  offptrit?" Have  we  all 

this  while  been  but  making  a  tranfi- 
tion,  from  one  tyranny  to  another 

-: And  is  there  to  be  no  freedom, 

no  happincfs,  this  fide  the  grave! 

HIBEJINICU& 


C  68  ] 

[From  the  Columbian  Magazine, 
Sept.  1786.] 

SKETCH  of  the  Life  of  the  late  NATHA 
NIEL  GREENE,  Major  General  of  the 
Forces  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

i  H  I  S  gallant  officer,  whofe 
death  is  fo  generally  and  fo  juftly 
regretted,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Warwick,  Kent  county,  Rhode-Ifland, 
in  or  about  the  year  1741,  and  was 
the  fecond  fon  of  a  refpectable  citizen 
of  the  fame  name,  (defcended  from 
one  of  the  firft  fettlers  of  the  colony) 
who  was  extenfively  concerned  in 
lucrative  iron-works,  the  property  of 
which,  at  his  death,  (prior  to  the, 
war)  he  left  to  his  children. 


SKETCH,    &C.  69 

The  General  was  endowed  with 
an  uncommon  degree  of  judgment  and 
penetration,  which,  with  a  benevolent 
manner  and  affable  behaviour,  acquired 
him  a  number  of  valuable  friends,  by 
whofe  intereft  and  influence,  he  was, 
at  an  early  period  of  life,  chofen  a 
member  of  the  a/Tembly  of  the  then 
colony  of  Rhode-Ifknd.  This  trufr, 
in  which  he  gave  the  highefl  fatisfac- 
tion  to  his  conftituents,  he  continued 
to  poflefs,  until,  and  at,  the  period, 
when  the  folly  and  madnefs  of  Eng 
land  fevered  a  world  from  her  em 
pire. 

After  the  fkirmifh.es  at  Lexington 
and  Concord,  when  a  fpirit  of  refift- 
ance  fpread,  like  wild-fire,  over  the 


70  SKETCH   or 

continent,  Rhode-ifland  was  not  defi 
cient  in  her  contributions  for  the gene 
ral  defence.  She  raifed  three  regiments 
of  militia,  the  command  whereof  was 
given  to  Mr.  Greene,  who  was  nomi 
nated  brigadier-general.  The  liberty, 
fafety,  and  profperity  of  his  country 
being  expofed  to  imminent  danger, the 
pacific  principles  of  quakerifm,  in 
which  he  had  been  educated,  proved 
infufficient  to  reprefs  the  ardent  fbii  it 
of  liberty  with  which  his  bofcm 
glowed. 

He  led  the  troops  under  his  com 
mand  to  Cambridge,  and  v.  as  prefent 
at  the  evacuation  of  Boftoo  by  a  force 
\vhich,  in  England  hud  been  vattnt* 
irmly  dated  as  treble  the  n  .. 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  71 
would  be  requifiteto  dragoon  America 
into  unconditional  fubmiflion. 

General  Greene's  merit  and  abili 
ties,  as  well  in  the  council  as  in  the 
field,  were  not  long  unnoticed  by  gene 
ral  Washington,  who  repofed  in  him 
the  utmoft  confidence,  and  paid  a  par 
ticular  deference  to  his  advice  and 
opinion,  on  all  occafions  of  doubt  and 
difficulty.  This  excited  the  jealoufy 
'  of  feveral  officers,  of  older  date  and 
higher  rank,  who  were  not  wanting 
in  endeavours  to  fupplant  him:  buihi 
vain— the  commander  in  chief  knev/ 
and  prized  his  worth  as  it  deferved. 

He  war.  appointed  major-general  by 
-ccncrefs,  the  26th  of  Augufr,  1776. 
.rd:  the  clofe  of  that  year,  he 
F 


72  SKETCH    OF 

was  at  the  Trenton  furprize ;  and,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  next,  w  as  at  the  bat 
tle  of  Princeton,  two  enterprizes  not 
more  happily  planned  than  judicioufly 
and  bravely  executed,  in  both  of 
which  he  difplayed  his  talents,  ferv- 
ing  his  noviciate  under  the  American 
Fabius. 

At  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  gene 
ral  Greene  diftinguimed  himfelf  by 
fapporting  the  right  wing  of  the  Ame 
rican  army,  when  it  gave  way,  and 
judicioufly  covering  the  whole,  when 
routed  and  retreating  in  confuiion; 
and  their  fafety  from  utter  ruin  was  ge 
nerally  afcribed  to  his  (kill  and  exer 
tions,  which  were  well  feconded  by 
the  troops  under  his  command. 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  73 
At  the  battle  of  German  town,  he 
commanded  the  left  wing  of  the  Ame 
rican  army — and  his  utmoft  endea 
vours  were  exerted  to  retrieve  the 
fortune  of  that  day,  in  which  his  con 
duct  met  with  the  approbation  of  the 
commander  in  chief. 

In  March,  1778,  he  was  appoint 
ed  quarter-matter  general,  which  office 
he  accepted  under  a  ftipulation  that 
his  rank  in  the  army  mould  not  be  af 
fected  by  it,  and  that  he  mould  retain 
his  right  to  command  in  time  of  action, 
according  to  his  rank  and  feniority. 

In  this  ftation,  he  fully  anfweredthe 
expectations  formed  of  his  abilities; 
and  enabled  the  American  army  to 

F2 


74  SKETCH    OF 

move  with  additional    celerity  and 
vigour. 

At  the  battle  of  Mon  mouth,  the 
commander  in  chief,  difgufted  with 
the  behaviour  of  general  Lee,  depofed 
him  in  the  field  of  battle,  and  appoint 
ed  general  Greene  to  command  the 
right  wing,  where  he  greatly  contribi> 
ted  to  retrieve  the  errors  of  his  prede- 
cefTor,  and  to  the  fubfeqaent  event  of 
the  day. 

About  the  middle  of  the  year  1778, 
an  attack  being  planned  by  the  Ame 
ricans,  in  conjunction  with  the  French 
fleet,  on  the  Britifh  garrifon  at  New 
port,  Rhode-ifland,  general  Sullivan 
was  appointed  to  the  command,  under 
whom  general  Greene  ferved.  This 


GEN.  GREENE  s  LIFE.  75 
attempt  was  unfiiccefsful.  The- French 
fleet  having  failed  out  of  harbour,  to 
engage  lord  Howe's  fleet,  they  were 
difperfcd  by  a  (term,  and  the  Ameri 
cans  \vere  obliged  to  raife  the  fiege  of 
Newport ;  in  doing  which  general 
Greene  difplayed  a  great  degree  of 
flail*  in  drawing  off  the  army  in  fafety. 
After  the  hopes  of  the  Britiihgenc- 
rals  to  execute  feme  decifive  ftroke 
to  the  northward,  were  fruilrated, 
they  turned  their  attention  to  the 
fbuthern  ftates,  as  lefs  capable  of  de 
fence,  and  more  likely  to  reward  the 
invaders  with  ample  plunder.  A  grand 
expedition  was,  in  confecjuence,  plan 
ned  at  New-York,  where  the  army 
ciLb^rkcd  on  the  26th  of  December, 


76  SKETCH    OF 

1779,  and  landed  on  the  nth  of 
February,  1780,  within  about  thirty 
miles  of  Charleflon,  which,  after  a 
brave  defence,  was  furrendered  to 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  on  the  1 2th  of 
May. 

A  feries  of  ill  fuccefs  followed  this 
unfortunate  event.  The  American 
arms  in  South  Carolina  were  in  gene 
ral  unfuccefsful,  and  the  inhabitants 
were  obliged  to  fubmit  to  the  invaders, 
whofe  impolitic  feverity  was  extremely 
ill  calculated  to  anfwer  any  of  the  ob- 
je<5ts  for  which  the  war  had  been  com 
menced. 

Affairs  were  thus   circum (lanced,   . 
•when  general  Washington  appointed 
general  Greene  to  the  command  of 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.         77 
the  American  forces  in  the  fouthern 
diftrict.  He  arrived  at  Charlotte,  en 
the  fecond  day  of  December,   1780, 
accompanied  by  gen.  Morgan,  a  brave   . 
officer,  who  had  difHnguiflied  himfelf 
to  the  northward,  in  the  expedition 
againft    Burgoyne.     He    found    the 
forces  he  was  to  command,  reduced 
to  a  very  fmall  number,  by  defeat  and 
by  defertion.  The  returns  were  nine 
hundred  and  feventy  continentals,  and 
one  thoufand  and  thirteen  militia.  Mi 
litary  (lores,   provifions,  forage,  and 
all  things  necefTary,  were,  if  poflible, 
in  a  more  reduced  ftate  than  his  army. 
His  men  were  without  pay,  and  al- 
moft  without  clothing;  andfupplies  of 
the  latter  were  not  to  be  had  but  from 


78  SKETCH    OF 

a  diftance  of  two  hundred  miles.  In 
this  perilous  and  embarrafled  fituation, 
he  had  to  oppofe  a  refpedable  and  vic 
torious  army.  Fortunately  for  him, 
the  conduct  of  fome  of  the  friends  of 
royalty  obliged  numbers,  oiherwife 
difpofed  to  remain  neuter,  to  take  up 
arms  in  their  own  defence.  This  and 
the  prudent  meafures  the  general  took 
for  removing  the  innumerable  difficul 
ties  and  disadvantages  he  wasfurround- 
ed  with,  and  for  conciliating  the  affec 
tions  of  the  inhabitants,  foon  brought 
together  a  confiderable  force,  far  infe 
rior,  however,  to  that  of  the  Britifh, 
who  efteemed  the  country  perfectly 
fubjugated. 


CEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  79 
After  he  had  recruited  his  forces, 
with  all  the  friends  to  the  revolu 
tion  that  he  could  afTemble,  he  fent 
a confiderable  detachment, under  gene 
ral  Morgan,  to  the  weflern  extremi 
ties  of  the  ftate,  to  protect  the  well 
difpcfed  inhabitants  from  the  ravages 
of  the  tories.  This  force,  which  was 
the  firir.  that  had  for  a  confiderable 
time  appeared  there,  on  the  fide  of 
the  Americans,  infpired  the  friends  of 
liberty  with  new  courage,  fo  that 
numbers  of  them  crowded  to  the 
fiandard  of  general  Morgan.  Ke  at 
length  became  fo  formidable*  that 
lord  Cornwallis  thought  proper  to 
fend  colonel  Tarleton  to  diflodge 
him  from  the  ftation  he  had  taken.- 
F5  • 


8O  SKETCH    OF 

This  officer  was  at  the  head  of  a  thou- 
fand  regular  troops,  and  had  two  field 
pieces.  He  came  up,  on  the  i  yth  of 
January,  1 78 1 ,  at  a  place  called  Cow- 
pens,  with  general  Morgan,  \vhofe 
force  was  much  inferior,  and  was 
compofed  of  two-thirds  militia,  and 
one-third  continentals.  An  erjg;1  ce 
ment  was  the  immediate  confluence. 
The  brevity  of  this  /ketch  will  not 
permit  me  to  go  into  a  detail  of  the 
ciifpofitions  made  on  either  fide.  Let 
it  fuffice  to  fay,  that  the  brave  Mor 
gan  gained  a  complete  victory  over  an 
officer,  the  rapidity  and  fuccefs  of 
v,  hofe  attacks,  until  that  time,  nr'ght 
have  entitled  him  to  make  ufe  of  tl.5 
declaration  of  Csefar,  "  vcr:*,  ild;*, 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  81 
•wV/."  Upwards  of  five  hundred  of  the 
Britifh  laid  down  their  arms,  and  were 
made  prifoners — a  very  confiderable 
number  was  killed.  Eight  hundred 
fr.ands  of  arms,  two  field-pieces,  and 
thirty-five  baggage-waggons  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  vigors,  who  had  only 
twelve  killed,  and  fixty  wounded. 

This  brilliant  fuccefs  quite  difcon- 
certed  the  plan  of  operations  formed 
by  lord  Cornwallis.  Having  enter 
tained  no  idea  of  any  enemy  to  oppofe 
in  South  Carolina,  the  conquer!  of 
which  he  had  deemed  complete,  he 
had  made  every  preparation  for  carry 
ing  his  arms  to  the  northward,  to  ga 
ther  the  laurels,  which  he  imagined 
awaited  for  him.  He  now  found  him- 


82  SKETCHOF 

felf  obliged  topofbone  this  deligr..  He 
marched  with  rapidity  after  general 
Morgan,  in  hopes  net  only  to  recover 
the  prifoners,  but  to  revenge  Tarle- 
ton's  lolTes.  The  Americans,  by  a  ra 
pidity  of  movements,  and  the  inter 
ference  of  providence,*  eluded  his 

*  "  The  Brit'fh  urged  the  purfuit  with 
-  "  fo  much  rapidity,  that  they  came  to  the 
"  ford  of  the  Catawbi  on  the  evening  of 
"  the  fame  day  on  which  the  Americans 
"  had  crofted  it.  Before  the  next  day,  a  hea- 
"  vy  fall  of  rain  rendered  it  impaiTable.— • 
"  Had  it  rifen  a  few  hours  earlier,  the 
*'  Americans  would  have  had  no  chance  of 
"  efcape,  and  their  prifoners  would  have 
"  been  retaken  by  the  enemy.  Some  time 
"  after,  the  fame  providential  interference 
"  took  place  in  pafTmg  the  Yadkin.  A 
"  fucden  and  rapid  rife,  after  the  Ameri- 
"  cans  had  crofied,  prevented  lord  Corn- 
<:  wallis  from  getting  over."  [Vide  Ram- 
%,  Vol.  II.  p.  ao6,  ao8.] 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  83 
efforts,  and  general  Greene  effected, 
a  junction  of  the  two  divifions  of  his 
little  army,  on  the  yth  of  February. 
Still  was  he  fo  far  inferior  to  lord 
Cornwallis,  that  he  was  obliged  to 
retreat  northward,  and,  notwithirand- 
ing  the  vigilance  and  activity  of  his 
enemy,  he  brought  his  men  in  fafety 
into  Virginia. 

In  this  (late  he  received  fome  rein 
forcements,  and  had  the  promife  of 
more — on  which  he  returned  again 
into  North  Carolina,  where,  on  their 
arrival,  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  act  on 
the  offenfive.  Ke  encamped  in  the 
vicinity  of  lord  Cornwallis's  army. — 
By  a  variety  of  the  beft  concerted  ma 
noeuvres,  and  by  the  fecrecy  ancj 


84  SKETCH    OF 

promptitude  of  his  motions,  hefoju-. 
dicioufly  fupported  the  arrangement- 
of  his  troops,  that  during  three  weeks, 
while  the  enemy  remained  near  him,, 
lie  prevented  them  from  taking  any* 
advantage  of  their  flrperiority,  and- 
even  cut  oft  all  opportunity  of  their 
receiving  fuccours  from  the  royal-, 
ids. 

About  the  beginning  of  March,  he 
effected  a  junction  with  a  continental 
regiment,  and  two  confiderable  bodies 
of  Virgin!?,  and  Carolina  militia.  He 
then  determined  on  attacking  the  Bri- 
tlHi  commander  without  lofs  of  tirne^ 
«<  being  perfuaded,"  as  he  declared 
in  his  lubfequeiit  clifpatches,  "  that  if 
{t-  he  v/us  fucccfsf  J,  it  \vcdd  prove 


OEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  85 
"  ruinous  to  the  enemy — and,  if  other- 
"  wife,  that  it  would  be  but  a  partial 
"  evil  to  him."  On  the  I4th  he  arri 
ved  at  Guilford  court-houfe,  the  Jj;i- 
tifh  tlien  lying  at  t \\  elve  miles  dif- 
tance. 

His  army  confined  of  about  four 
thoufand  five  hundred  men,  of  whom 
near  two  thirds  were  North  Carolina 
and  Virginia  militia.  The  Britifh  were 
about  two  thoufand  four  hundred,  all 
regukr  troops,  and  the  greater  part 
inured  to  toil  and  fervice  in  their 
long  expedition  under  lord  Cornwal- 
lis,  who,  on  the  morning  of  the  I5th, 
being  apprized  of  general  Greene's 
intentions,  marched  to  meet  him* 
The  latter  diipofed  his  army  in  three 


86  SKETCH    OF 

lines;  the  militia  of  North  Carolina 
were  in  front — the  fecond  line  was 
compofed  of  thofe  of  Virginia,-^and 
the  third,  which  was  the  flower  of 
the  army,  was  formed  of  continen 
tal  troops,  near  fifteen  hundred  in 
number.  They  were  flanked  on  both 
fides  by  cavalry  and  riflemen,  and 
were  polled  on  a  rifing  ground,  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  Guilford  Court 
Houfe. 

The  engagement  commer  :ed  at 
half  an  hour  after  one  o'clock,  by  a 
brifk  cannonade.  Afterwhich  the  Bri- 
tifh  advanced  in  three  columns,  and 
attacked  the  firft  line,  compofed,  as 
has  been  obferved,  of  North  Carolina 
militia.  Thefe,  who,  probably,  had 


GEN.   GFxEENE's  LIFE.  87 

never  been  in  action  before,  were  pa 
nic  (truck  at  the  approach  of  the  ene 
my,  and  many  of  them  ran  away  with 
out  firing  a  gun,  or  being  fired  upon, 
and  even  before  the  Eritifh  had  come 
nearer  than  140  yards  to  them.  Part 
of  them,  however,  fired,  but  they 
then  followed  the  example  of  their 
comrades.  Their  officers  made  every 
poflible  effort  to  rally  them — but  nei 
ther  the  advantages  of  their  pofition, 
nor  any  other  coniideration,  could  in 
duce  them  to  maintain  their  ground. 
This  mameful  cowardice  had  a  great 
effect  upon  the  iffue  of  the  battle.  The 
next  Iine5  however,  behaved  much  bet 
ter.  They  fought  with  great  bravery ; 
and  after  they  were  thrown  into  dif- 


SK2TCH     CF 

order,  rallied,  returned  to  the  charge, 
and  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  for  a  long 
time,  but  were  at  length  broken,  ar.d 
driven  on  the  third  line,  when  the 
engagement  became  general,  very 
fevere,  and  very  bloody.  At  I. 
fuperiority  of  dnclpiine  carried  the  uc-v 
from  fuperiority  of  numbers.  The  con- 
fiict  endured  an  hour  and  a  h:Jf,  and 
was  terminated  by  general  Greene's 
ordering  a  retreat,  when  he  perceiv 
ed,  that  the  enemy  \vere  on  the  point 
of  encircling  his  troops. 

This  v/as  a  hard-foi-ght  acfiion.  Lord. 
Cornvralli3  itatcd  his  loiles  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  mifji^g,  at  532,  among 
whom  were  fevcral  ofF-cers  cf  confi- 
derable  rank.  To  ihofe  who  :;: 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  89 
to  -ccnfider  the  thoufands  killed  in 
the  plains  of  Germany,  very  frequent 
ly  without  producing  any  vifible  con- 
fequence  on  the  fate  of  a  war,  the 
number  here  mentioned  mud  appear 
infignificant.  But  this  battle  was, 
neverthelefs,  decifive  in  its  confequen- 
ces.  Lord  Cornwallis  was,  three  days 
after,  obliged  to  make  a  retrograde 
motion,  and  to  return  to  Wilmington, 
fituated  two  hundred  miles  from  the 
place  of  ac~lion.  He  was  even  under 
the  neceflity  of  abandoning  a  conlider- 
able  number  of  thofe  who  were  mod: 
dangeroufly  wounded. 

The  lofs  of  the  Americans    was 
about  four  hundred  killed  and  wound 
ed.  However,  this  was  not  fo  feverejy 
G 


gO  SKETCH    OF 

felt,  as  the  defertion  of  a  considerable 
number  of  militia,  who  fled  home 
wards,  and  came  no  more  near  the 
army. 

Some  time  after  this  engagement, 
general  Greene  determined  to  return 
to  South-Carolina,  to  endeavour  to 
expel  the  Britim  from  that  (late.  His 
firft  object  was  to  attempt  the  reduc 
tion  of  Camden>  where  lord  Raw- 
don  was  polled  with  about  nine  hun 
dred  men.  The  ftrcogth  of  this  place* 
which  was  covered  on  the  fouth  and 
eaft  fides  by  a  river  and  a  creek,  and 
to  the  weft  ward  and  northward,  by  fix 
redoubts,  rendered  it  impracticable  to 
carry  it  by  dorm,  with  the  fmall  army 
general  Greene  had,  confiding  cf 


GEN'.  GREENE  S  LIFE.  91. 

about  feven  hundred  continentals.  He, 
therefore,  encamped  at  about  a  mile 
from  the  town,  in  order  to  prevent 
fupplies  from  being  brought  in,  and  to 
take  advantage  of  flich  favourable  cir- 
cumftances  as  might  occur. 

Lord  Rawdon's  fituation  was  exr* 
trcmely  delicate.  Colonel  Watfon, 
•whom  he  had  fome  time  before  de 
tached  for  the  protection  of  the  eaftern 
frontiers,  and  to  whom  he  had,  on 
intelligence  of  general  Greene's  inten 
tions,  fent  orders  to  return  toCamden, 
\vas  fo  effectually  watched  by  general 
Marian,  that  it  was  impoilible  for  him 
to  obey.  His  lordfhip's  fupplies  were, 
moreover,  very  precarious  : — and, 

a  2 


Q2  SKETCH    OF 

Should  general  Greene's  reinforce* 
ments  arrive,  he  might  be  fo  clofely 
invefled,  as  to  be  at  length  obliged  to 
furrender.  In  this  dilemma,  the  beft 
expedient  that  fuggefled  itfelf,  was  a 
bold  attack  ;  for  which  purpofe  he  ar 
med  his  muiicians  and  drummers,  and 
every  perfon  capable  of  carrying  a  muf- 
quet.  He  fallied  out  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  April,  and  attacked  general 
Greene  in  his  camp.  The  defence 
was  obftinate,  and,  for  fome  part  of 
the  engagement, the  advantage  appear 
ed  to  be  in  favour  of  America. — Lieu 
tenant  colonel  Wafhingtcn,  who  com 
manded  the  cavarly,  had  at  one  time 
not  lefs  than  two  hundred  Britifh  pri- 
foners.  However,  by  the  mifconducT: 


GEN.   GREENE  S   LIFE.  93 

of  one  of  the  American  regiments,  vic 
tory  was  fnatched  from  general  Greene, 
who  was  compelled  to  retreat.  He  loft 
in  the  a<5lion  about  two  hundred  kil 
led,  wounded,  and  prifoners. — Lord 
Rawdon  loft  two  hundred  and  fifty 
eight. 

There  was  a  great  flmilarky  between 
the  ccnfequences  of  the  affair  at  Guil- 
ford,  and  thofe  of  this  aclion.  In  the 
former,  lord  Cornwallis  was  fuccefs- 
ful — but  was  obliged  to  retreat  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  fcene  of  ac 
tion,  and  for  a  time  abandon  the 
grand  objecl:  of  penetrating  to  the 
north vvard.  In  the  latter,  lord  Raw- 
don  had  the  honour  of  the  field,  but 
\vas  fhortly  after  reduced  to  the  necef- 


94  SKETCH    OF 

iity  of  abandoning  his  pofr,  and  leav 
ing  behind  him  a  number  of  fick  and 
wounded. 

The  evacuation  of  Camden,  with 
the  vigilance  of  general  Greene,  and  of 
the  feveral  officers  he  employed,  gave 
a  new  face  to  affairs  in  South  Caro 
lina,  where  the  Britifh  afcendency 
declined  more  rapidly  than  it  had  been 
eilablifhed.  The  numerous  forts,  gar- 
rifoned  by  the  enemy,  fell>  one  after 
the  other,  into  the  hands  of  the  Ame 
ricans.  Orangeburg,  Motte,  Watfon, 
Georgetown,  Granby,  and  all  the 
others,  fort  Ninety-fix  excepted,  were 
furrendered  ;  and  a  very  confiderable 
number  of  prifoners  of  war,  with  mill* 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  95 
tary  ilores  and  artillery,  were  found 
in  them. 

On  the  22d  of  May,  general  Greene 
fat  down  before  Ninety-fix,  with  the 
main  part  of  his  little  army.  The 
fiege  was  carried  on  for  a  confiderable 
time  with  great  fpirit:  and  the  place 
•was  defended  with  equal  bravery. 
At  length,  the  works  were  fo  far  re 
duced,  that  a  furrender  muft  have 
been  made  in  a  few  days,  when  a  re 
inforcement,  of  three  regiments,  from 
Europe,  arrived  at  Charleflon,  \\hich 
enabled  lord  Rawdon  to  proceed  to 
relieve  this  important  poll.  The 
fuperiority  of  the  enemy's  force,'- 
reduced  general  Greene  to  the  alter 
native  of  abandoning  the  fiege  altoge- 
G4 


f)6  SKETCH    OF 

ther,  or,  previous  to  their  arrival,  of 
attempting  the  fort  by  (lorm.  The 
latter  was  more  agreeable  to  his  enter- 
prifing  fpirit:  and  an  attack  was  made 
on  the  morning  of  the  29th  of  June. 
He  was  repulfed,  with  the  lofs  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men.  He  raifed  the 
fiege,  and  retreated  over  the  Saluda. 
Dr.  Ramfay,  to  whom  the  writer 
of  this  (ketch  is  indebted,  for  mod  of 
the  facts  herein  contained,  fpeaking  of 
the  (late  of  affairs  about  this  period, 
fays,— "  truly  diitreffing  was  the  fitu- 
ation  of  the  American  army  :  when 
in  the  gnifp  of  victory,  to  be  obliged 
to  expofe  themfelves  to  a  hazardous 
aiTault,  and  afterwards  to  abandon  the 
fiege  :  when  they  were  nearly  mailers 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  97 
of  the  whole  country,  to  be  compel 
led  to  retreat  to  its  extremity  :  after 
fubduing  the  greateft  part  of  the  force 
fent  againft  them,  to  be  under  the  ne~ 
ceility  of  encountering  ftill  greater  re- 
infoi  cements,  when  their  remote  litu- 
ation  precluded  them  from  the  hope 
of  receiving  a  (ingle  recruit — in  this 
gloomy  fituation,  there  were  not 
wanting  perfons  who  advifed  general 
Greene  to  leave  the  ftate,  and  retire 
with  his  remaining  forces  to  Virginia. 
To  arguments  and  fuggeftions  of  this 
kind  he  nobly  replied — *  I  v/ill  reco 
ver  the  country,  or  die  in  the  at 
tempt.'  This  diflinguifhed  officer, 
v;hofe  genius  was  moft  vigorous  in 
thofe  extremities,  when  feeble  minds 


98  SKETCH    OF 

abandon  themfelves  to  defpair,  adopt 
ed  the  only  refource,  now  left  him,  of 
avoiding  an  engagement,  until  the 
Brhiih  force  mould  be  divided/' 

Some  fkirmimes,  of  no  great  mo 
ment,  took  place  between  detached 
parties  of  both  armies  in  July  and 
Auguft.  September  the  9th,  general 
Greene  having  aflembled  about  two 
thoufand  men,  proceeded  to  attack 
the  Britim,  who,  under  the  com 
mand  of  col.  Stewart,  were  polled  at 
Eutaw  Springs.  The  American  force 
was  drawn  up  in  two  lines:  the  firft, 
compofed  of  Carolina  militia,  was 
commanded  by  generals  Marian  and 
Pickens,  and  col.  De  Malmedy. — 
The  fecond,  which  confided  cf  ccn- 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  99 
tinental  troops  from  North  Carolina, 
Virginia,  and  Maryland,  was  com 
manded  by  general  Sumpter,  lieut. 
col.  Campbell,  and  colonel  Williams  ; 
lieutenant-colonelLee,with  his  legion, 
covered  the  right  flank  ;  and  lieuten 
ant-colonel  Henderfon,  with  the  (late 
troops,  covered  the  left.  A  corps  de 
referve  was  formed  of  the  cavalry, 
under  lieutenant-colonel  Wafhington, 
and  the  Delaware  troops  under  capt. 
Kirkwood.  As  the  Americans  came 
forward  to  the  attack,  they  fell  in 
with  fome  advanced  parties  of  the 
enemy,  at  about  two  or  three  miles 
a-head  of  the  main  body.  Thefe  being 
clofely  purfued,  were  driven  back — 
and  the  action  foon  became  general. 


IOO  SKETCH    OF 

The  militia  were  at  length  forced  to 
give  way,  but  were  bravely  fupported 
by  the  fecond  line.  In  the  hotted 
part  of  the  engagement,  gen.  Greene 
ordered  the  Maryland  and  Virginia 
continentals  to  charge  with  trailed 
arms.  This  decided  the  fate  of  thq 
day.  "  Nothing,"  fays  dr.  Ramfay, 
"  could  furpafs  the  intrepidity  of  both 
officers  and  men  on  this  occafion. — » 
They  ruflied  on,  in  good  order,  thro* 
a  heavy  cannonade,  and  a  mower  of 
mufquetry,  with  fuch  unfhaken  refo- 
lution,  that  they  bore  down  all  before 
them."  The  Britifh  were  broken, 
clofely  purfued,  and  upwards  of  five 
hundred  of  them  taken  prifoners  — « 
They  however  made  a  fiefh  ftand,  in 


GEN.   GREENE  S  LIFE.          IO1 

a  favourable  pofition,  in  impenetrable 
fhrubs  and  a  picquetted  garden.  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Wafhington,  after  hav 
ing  made  every  effort  to  diilodge 
them,  was  wounded  and  taken  pri- 
foner.  Four  fix  pounders  were 
brought  forward  to  play  upon  them, 
but  they  fell  into  their  hands ;  and 
the  endeavours  to  drive  them  from 
their  ftation  being  found  impractica 
ble,  the  Americans  retired,  leaving  a 
flrong  picquet  on  the  field  of  battle. 
Their  lofs  was  about  five  hundred; 
that  of  the  Britifh  upwards  of  eleven 
hundred. 

General  Greene  was  honoured  by 
congrefs  with  a  Britifh  ftandard,  and 
a  gold  medal,  emblematical  of  the 


IO2  SKETCH    OF 

engagement  and  fuccefs,  ((  fcr  his 
wife,  decifive,  and  magnanimous  con- 
dud,  in  the  action  at  Eutaw  fprings, 
in  which,  with  a  force  inferior  in 
number  to  that  of  the  enemy,  he  ob 
tained  a  mod  fignal  victory." 

In  the  evening  of  the  fucceeding 
day,  colonel  Stewart  abandoned  his 
poll,  and  retreated  towards  Charlef- 
ton,  leaving  behind  upwards  of  fe- 
venty  of  his  wounded,  and  a  thou- 
fand  (lands  of  arms.  He  was  purfued 
a  confiderable  diflance — but  in  vain. 
The  battle  of  Eutaw  produced  mod: 
fignal  confequences  in  favour  of  Ame 
rica.  The  Britifti,  who  had  for  fuch  a 
length  of  time  lorded  it  abfolutely  in 
South  Carolina,  were,  fhortly  after 


CEN.  «REENE'S  UIFE.  103 
that  event,  obliged  to  confine  them- 
felves  in  Charlefton,  whence  they  ne 
ver  ventured  but  to  make  predatory 
excurfions,  with  bodies  of  cavalry, 
which  in  general  met  with  a  very 
warm  and  very  unwelcome  reception. 
During  the  relxationthat  followed, 
a  dangerous  plot  was  formed,  by  fome 
turbulent  and  mutinous  perfons  in  the 
army,  to  deliver  up  their  brave  gene 
ral  to  the  Britifh.  This  treasonable 
defign  owed  its  rife  to  the  hardfhips, 
wants,  and  calamities  of  the  foldiers, 
who  were  ill  paid,  ill  clothed,  and  ill 
fed.  The  confpirators  did  not  ex-» 
ceed  twelve  in  number :  and  a  provi 
dential  difcovery  defeated  the  project. 


IO4  SKETCH    OF 

The  furrender  of  lord  Cornwallis, 
whofe  enterprifing  fpirit  had  been  by 
the  Britifh  miniflry  expected  to  repair 
the  lofles,  and  wipe  away  the  difgrace, 
v/hich  had  been  incurred  through  the 
inactivity  and  indolence  of  other  gene 
rals,  having  convinced  them  of  the  im 
practicability  of  fubjugating  America, 
they  difcontinued  offenlive  operations 
in  every  quarter.  From  the  begin 
ning  of  the  year  1782,  it  was  cur* 
rently  reported,  that  Charlefton  was 
fpeedily  to  be  evaucated  :  it  was  offi 
cially  announced  the  feventh  of  Au- 
guft  ;  but  did  not  take  place  until 
the  feventeenth  of  December. 


GEN.   GREENE  S  LIFE.         1QJ 

The  happy  period  at  length  arrived, 
\vhen,  by  the  virtue  and  bravery  of 
her  Tons,  aided  by  the  bounty  of  hea 
ven,  America  compelled  her  invaders 
to  recognife  her  independence.  Then 
her  armies,  quitted  the  tented  fields, 
and  retired  to  cultivate  the  arts  of 
peace  and  happinefs.  Among  the 
reft,  general  Greene  revifited  his  na 
tive  country,  where  he  proved  himfelf 
as  valuable  a  citizen,  as  the  Carolinas 
had  witnefTed  him  a  gallant  officer. 
DiiTenfions  and  jealoufies  had  extend 
ed  their  deftruclive  influence  among 
the  Rhode  Iflanders,  whofe  animofity 
had  arifen  to  fuch  a  degree,  as  to 
threaten  the  moft  ferious  ill  cor.fe- 
cuences:  general  Greene  exerted 


IO6  SKETCH    OF 

hlmfelf  to  reflore  harmony  and  peace 
among  them  once  more  ;  and  was 
happily  fuccefsful. 

In  October,  1785,  he  failed  to 
Georgia,  where  he  had  a  confiderable 
eftate,  not  far  diftant  from  Savannah. 
Here  he  pafTed  away  his  time,  occu 
pied  in  his  domeftic  concerns,  until 
the  hour  of  his  mortality  approached. 
'Walking  out  one  day  in  June  1786, 
he  was  overpowered  by  the  extreme 
heat  of  the  fun,  which  brought  on  a 
diforder  that  carried  him  oif,  a  few 
days  after,  on  the  iQth  of  the  fame 
month. 

When  the  melancholy  account  of 
Ills  death  arrived  at  Savannah,  the 
people  were  ftruck  with  the  deep  eft 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.  107 
forrow.  Ail  bufmefs  was  fufpended. 
The  (hops  and  (lores  throughout  the 
tov/n  were  fhut :  and  the  fhipping  in 
the  harbour  had  their  colours  half- 
mailed. 

The  body  was  brought  to  Savan 
nah,  and  interred  on  the  2Oth.  The 
funeral  proceffion  was  attended  by 
.  the  Cincinnati,  militia,  &c.  &c. 

Immediately  after  the  interment  of 
the  corpfe,  the  members  of  the  Cin 
cinnati  retired  to  the  coffee-houfe  in 
Savannah,  and  came  to  the  following 
refolution : 

"  That  as  a  token  of  the  high  re- 

fpect  and  veneration  in  which  this  fo- 

ciety  hold  the  memory  of  their  late 

iilufhious      brother,      major-general 

H 


.toS  sit  ETCH  or 

Greene,  deceafed,  George  Warning- 
ton  Greene,  his  eldeft  fon,  be  admit-* 
ted  a  member  of  this  focity,  to  take 
his  feat  on  his  arriving  at  the  age  of 
1 8  years/' 

General  Greene  left  behind  him  a 
wife,  and  five  children,  the  eldeft  of 
whom  was  about  1 1  years  old. 

On  Tuefday  the  1 2th  of  Augufr, 
the  United  States  in  Congrefs  afTem- 
bled  came  to  the  following  refolu- 
tion  : 

"  That  a  monument  be  erected  to 
the  memory  of  Nathaniel  Greene, 
efc[.  at  the  feat  of  the  federal  govern 
ment,  with  the  following  infcrip- 
tion  :-— 


GEN.  GREENE'S  LIFE.       109 
Sacred  to  the  memory  of 
NATHANIEL  GP.EENE,  Esq. 
who  departed  this  life,  the  ipth  of  June,  17863 

LATE  MAJOR-GENERAL 

in  the  fervice  of  the  United  States, 
and  commander  of  their  army  in  the 

fouthern  department. 
The  United  States  in   Congrefs  afiembled, 

in  honour  of  his 

patriotifm,  valour,   and  ability, 
have  creeled 

THIS  MONUMENT, 


H 


THOUGHTS 

On  the  Policy  of  encouraging  Migration. 


L.MIDST  an  exuberant  variety 
of  fanciful  and  new-fangled  opinions, 
lately  obtruded  on  the  public,  and  de 
fended  with  all  the  dexterity  that  cafu- 
iflry  can  afford,  there  is  none  more 
abfurd  than  that  of  thofe  perfons  who 
decry  and  endeavour  to  prevent  the 
migration  of  Europeans  to  America. 
A  paragraphifl,  in  one  of  the  late  pa 
pers,  in  fupport  of  fuch  conduct,  tells 
us  that  "  water  and  oil  may  as  eafily 
"  be  made  to  unite  as  the  fubjecls  of 
"  monarchies  with  the  citizens  of  the 
"  republics  of  America."  An  intelli- 


THOUGHTS,    SCC.  Ill 

gent  reader  muft  find  it  difficult  to  de 
cide  which  is  the  more  contemptible  of 
the  two,  the  il  liberality  of  fuch  an  idea, 
or  the  grofs  ignorance  of  the  writer, 
who  dared  to  advance  a  falfehood, 
which  a  fchool-boy  could  detect.  Un 
der  what  form  of  government  was  the 
gallant  Montgomery  born  and  ear  :a- 
ted?  Under  "  a  monarchy."  The 
marquis  de  la  Fayette,  the  marquis 
de  Rochambean,  baron  Steuben,  ba 
ron  de  Kalb,  count  Pulafki,  count 
d'Eftaign,  general  Mercer,  general 
Stewart,  general  Gates,  and  an  innu 
merable  band  of  other  heroes  and  pa 
triots,  whofe  exploits  during  the  late 
war,  have  immortalized  their  names, 
and  muftj  in  thefe  dates,  render  them 


112  THOUGHTS    ON 

facred  to  the  lateft  pofterity,  have 
"  united 'With  the  citizens  ofthefe  repub- 
«  lies"  and  been  efEcacioufly  inftru- 
mental  in  eftablifhing  their  founda 
tions,  although  they  were  the  "  fob- 
"  jeffs  of  monarchies"  Nine-tenths  of 
the  firft  fettlers  of  North-America, 
and  of  all  the  emigrants  who  have 
fince  arrived  here,  were  "  fubjecJs  of 
"  monarchies.9'  To  pafs  from  this 
\veftern  hemifphere,  let  us  touch  upon 
the  bright  condellation  of  worthies 
who  grace  the  annals  of  liberty  in  the 
old  world — Let  us  contemplate  and 
emulate  the  virtues  of  Brutus,  the 
fcourge  of  the  Tarquins;  Tell,  the 
deliverer  of  Switzerland;  Doria,  the 
deliverer  of  Genoa;  Guflavus  Vafi* 


MIGRATION.  113 

the  deliverer  of  Sweden;  Paoli,  the 
hero  of  Corfica;  Hambden,  Sidney, 
Price,  Montefquieu,  Raynal,  Becca- 
ria,  and  thoufands  of  others,  whofe 
bofoms  have  been  warmed  with  as 
pure  and  hallowed  a  fpirit  of  liberty, 
benevolence,  and  philanthropy,  as 
ever  animated  the  moft  zealous  repub 
lican.  Thefe  have  been  the  "fubjefts 
"  of  monarchies  "  or  (flill  \vorfe) 
archducal,  ducal,  or  ariftocratical 
tyrannies.  ^  Yet  who  is  there  in  "  thefr 
"  republics"  that  would  not  efteeni 
it  the  fummit  of  his  ambition  to  merit 
and  attain  the  reputation  they  have 
juflly  acquired? 

TtAsfage  politician  afks  in  a  trium 
phant  ftyle,   "  How  few  of  the  men 
H4 


114  THOUGHTS    ON 

"  who  have  come  among  us  fince  the 
"  peace,  have  affimilated  to  our  man- 
"  ners  and  government?"  With  much 
more  foundation  and  juflice  may  it  be 
demanded,  how  few  are  they  who 
have  not  thus  allimilated  tbemfelves  ? 

Had  "  thefubjefts  ofmonar- 

"  chies"  who  have  given  this  genius 
fo  much  uneafinefs,  been  excluded 
from  thefe  fhores,  the  aborigines 
would  have  poffefTed  them  to  this  day 
unmoleded.  If  no  plants  are  to  be 
grafted  on  the  old  (lock,  but  fuch  as 
"  fource"  from  republican  extracStion, 
vain  have  been  the  endeavours  of  the 
American  Solon  and  his  coadjutors, 
who  framed  the  conftitution,  and 
wifely  in  that  held  out  inducements  ta 


MIGRATION.  II  £ 

migration.  Few,  alas!  are  the  repub 
lics  of  Europe :  and  from  thofe  few, 
emigration  is  extremely  rare.  And 
it  may  be  made  a  queftion,  whether 
the  abject  (laves  or  lordly  ariftocrats 
of  Venice  or  Genoa,  would  be  much 
more  eligible  perfons  to  naturalize 
here,  than  the  " fuljccts  of  monarchies  " 
however  defpotic.  Thofe  Germans 
to  whom  Pennfylvania  owes  fo  much 
•with  refpecl  to  agriculture,  improve 
ments,  indudry,  and  opulence,  were 
tranfplanted  from  the  moft  defpotic 
foils.  Here  they  became  meliorated, 
and  have  furnifhed  fome  of  the  moit 
active  and  zealous  friends  and  fupport- 
ers  of  America's  independence.  The 

fame  will  hold  equally  true  of  thofe 
H  2 


Il6  THOUGHTS    ON 

numerous  fwarms  of  Irifhmen,  who 
both  before  and  during  the  arduous 
druggie,  came  into  this  country.-^ 
Their  valour  and  conduct  were  dif- 
played  by  fea  and  land — and  hiflory 
will  bear  the  moft  honourable  tefHmo- 
ny  of  their  heroifm. 

What  then  becomes  of  the  random 
aflertions  of  this  \vriter  ?  What  end 
can  he  propofe  to  anfwer  but  to  divide 
the  people  of  this  country,  and  create 
difTentions  and  ill  blood  between  the 
old  citizens,  and  thofe  who  are  on 
every  occafion  fpoken  of  with  a  kind 
cf  fupercllious  and  impertinent  oblo 
quy  and  contempt  as  new  comers — new 
comers  ?  Are  not  the  unhappy  divifioLs 
beuvcen  conftitutionalius  and  rcpubJi- 


MIGRATION.  117 

cans,  enough  to  impede  and  prevent 
the  welfare  and  happinefs  of  the  (late  ? 
Mud  more  diftinc"tions  and  differences 
be  created,  in  order  to  counteract  the 
efforts  of  true  patriots  to  promote  the 
common  good?  The  monitorial  page 
of  hiftory  warns  mankind  inceffantly^ 
to  beware  of  the  fhoals  and  quick- 
fands  to  be  dreaded  from  inteftine 
divifions.  The  death-bed  maxim  of 
Micipfa,  given  to  Jugurtha,  "  By 
unanimity  weak  dates  gather  ftrength; 
by  difcord,  powerful  ones  fall  to  ruin," 
has  been  wifely  adopted  as  the  motto 
of  the  United  Provinces,  and  is  equally 
applicable  to  the  United  States.  To 
what  was  owing  the  fall  of  Carthage, 
of  mighty  Rome,  of  Mexico,  of 


IlS  THOUGHTS    ON 

Peru  ?  To  inteftine-divifions.  What' 
fixed  the  power  of  the  Macedonians 
in  Greece  ? — What  eflablifhed  the 
Romans  in  Greece,  in  Gaul,  in  Bri 
tain,  and  in  almoft  all  their  conquefls? 
What  fubjeaed  Wales  and  Ireland  to 
England  ?  What  crowned  Henry  the 
fifth  of  England  in  Paris  ?  What 
proftratcd  China  to  the  Tartars  ? 
What  enabled  three  royal  robbers  to 
plunder  Poland,  and  to  (trip  it  of 
fome  of  its  mod  valuable  territories, 
and  five  millions  of  people  ?  The  in- 
tefKne  divifions  of  the  inhabitants  of 
thofe  various  countries.  In  fine,  let 
hiflory  be  carefully  examined,  and  it 
will  appear,  that  few  empires,  king 
doms,  icates,  or  republics,,  have  ever 


MIGRATION.  IJ9 

been  deftroyed,  without  internal  dif- 
cord  being  one  of  the  primary  caufes. 
Surely,  then,  he  muft  be  a  moft  dan 
gerous  enemy  to  this  country,  who, 
endeavours  to  excite  jealoufy  and  di£ 
union  here,  from  which  fo  many  evil 
confequences  muft  naturally  and  ine 
vitably  arife.  Let  all  fuch  perfons 
meet  with  the  deteftation  and  fcorn 
they  merit.  Let  the  Americans,  to  ufe 
the  words  of  this  paragraphiir.,  "  give 
a  preference  to  our  old  citizens,'* 
whenever  their  merit  and  abilities  en 
title  them  to  it.  But  fhould  the  new 
comer  be  found  to  poflefs  thofe  qua 
lities  in  a  higher  degree,  let  him  not 
be  expofed  to  neglect,  abufe,  or  fcur* 
rility,  merely  becaufe,  actuated  by  a 


I2O  THOUGHTS    ON 

love  of  liberty,  he  has  grven  this 
country  a  preference  to  his  own,  and 
abandoned  his  friends  and  relatives  to 
coalefce  with  the  inhabitants  of  Ame^ 
rica,  who,  as  general  Waftiington  de 
clares  in  his  farewel  addrefs,  "  HAVE 
OPENED  AN  ASYLUM  FOR  THE  OP-. 
PRESSED  AND  DISTRESSED  OF  ALI, 
NATIONS." 

As  this  is  a  fubjecl  on  which 
many  well  meaning  perfons  have  been 
led  to  form  very  erroneous  opinions, 
by  the  artful  infmuations  of  defigning 
men,  it  will  be  allowable  to  purfue  it 
a  little  further.  In  Europe,  the  im 
portance  of  preventing  emigration  is 
fully  underftood ;  and  in  moft  dates 
no  pains  are  fpared  to  chain  the  in- 


MIGRATION.  121 

habitants  to  the  foil.  To  entice  ar- 
tifts  and  manufacturers  from  Britain 
is  a  high  crime  and  mifdemeanor  : 
and,  according  to  Chambers,  in 
the  fame  country,  artificers  in  iron, 
fieel,  brafs  or  other  metal,  or  in  wool, 
going  out  of  the  kingdom  into  any 
foreign  country,  without  licence,  are 
liable  to  be  imprifoned  three  months, 
and  fined  any  fum  not  exceeding  one 
hundred  pounds.  And  thofe  who  go 
abroad,  and  do  not  return  on  warn 
ing  given  by  the  Britifh  ambafTadors, 
are  difabled  from  holding  lands  by 
defcent  or  devife,  from  receiving  any 
legacy,  &c.  and  are  deemed  aliens. 
It  is  the  fame  in  feveral  other  dates  of 
Euroe.  Edward  the  third 


122  THOUGHTS    ON 

eftablifhed  the  woollen  manufacture  ia 
England,  effected  it  by  enticing  fome 
weavers  from  Flanders.  Such  was 
the  origin  of  that  trade  which  forms 
the  bafis  of  Englifh  opulence  and 
commerce  to  this  day.  May  not  fome 
of  the  emigrants  from  Europe,  efta^ 
blifh  manufactures  here  which  in  time 
will  prove  equally  lucrative  and  bene^ 
ikial  ?  The  impolicy  of  Lewis  the 
fourteenth  in  revoking  the  edict  of 
Nantz,  and  the  confequent  emigration 
from  France  of  hundreds  of  thoufands 
of  valuable  artifb  and  manufacturers, 
imparted  various  arts  to  Germany, 
Holland,  and  England,  whereof 
France  had  had  an  almofl  entire 
monopoly.  Among  thefe  we  may 


MIGRATION.  123 

enumerate  the  manufacture  of  paper,- 
filk,  looking  glades,  &c.  &c.  The 
expulfion  of  the  Moors  from  Spain 
tended  greatly  to  the  impoverifhment 
of  that  country,  and  to  the  abridgment 
of  its  manufactures,  trade,  and  com 
merce.  Are  not  thefe  and  numerous 
other  inftances  which  might  be  addu 
ced,  fufficient  to  prove  how  far  fage 
policy  requires  America  to  hold  out 
every  poflible  encouragement  to  indu- 
ff-'v  us  perfons  to  migrate  here,  with 
their  acquirements,  their  property, 
anr1  their  families  ?  What  then  mall 
w-  fay  of  thofe  who  are  incefTantly 
heaping  fcurrility  and  abufe  on  them  ? 
The  anfwer  is  obvious.  They  rnuft 
be  either  ignorant,  illiberal,  and 


124  THOUGHTS    &C. 

mean  perfons :  or  thofe  who  have 
fome  felfifh  or  party  purpofe  to  an- 
fwer  by  fuch  a  vile  condud.  If  the 
former  be  the  cafe,  they  claim  oar 
pity  or  contempt :  if  the  latter,  our 
hatred. 

"  When  caps  among  a  crowd  are  thrown, 
"  Each  man  is  lure  to  take  his  own." 

Philadelphia,  Aug.  30,  1786. 


C  1*5  ] 

[From  the  Philadelphia  Gazette.] 

THEATRICUS. 

NUMBER.    I. 

4  Carelefs  of  cenfure — nor  too  fond  of  fame, 
*  Still  pleas' d  to  praife — yet  not  afraid 

'  to  blame. 
:  Averfe,  alike,  to  flatter  or  offend.' 

POPE* 
Mr.  CHALMERS. 

no 

JL  HIS  gentleman  is,  in  fome 
refpecls,  the  firft  performer  in  Ame 
rica.  In  others,  he  is  fecond  to  Mr. 
Hcdgkinfon,  who,  as  a  general  ador, 
(lands  undoubtedly  at  the  head  of  his 
profeffion. 

In  genteel  comedy,  the  palm  mufl 
be  given  to  Mr.  Chalmers.   In  this 


126  THEATRICUS. 

department  he  (lands  unrivalled.  Jitis 
Belcour  cannot  be  excelled.  He 
fhines  with  diftinguifhed  luftre  in  this 
character,  which  is  drawn  in  the 
happieft  manner,  and  with  all  the  fire 
and  animation  of  a  Congreve  or  Far- 
quhar.  To  the  violent  paflions — the 
punctilious  fenfe  of  honour — the  mag 
nanimity  of  this  fon  of  the  torrid  zone, 
Cumberland  could  not  wiifh  more 
complete  juftice  done. 

His  Belville,  in  the  fchool  for  wives, 
is  nearly  equal  to  Belcour*  He  afTumes 
the  variety  that  marks  this  character, 
•with  the  utmoft  eafe  and  propriety— 
and  is  by  turns  an  affectionate,  though 
a  diflblute  hufband — an  abandoned 
feducer— and  a  man  of  fuch  true 


THEATRICUS,  127 

honor,  as  to  refufe  to  raife  his  arm, 
except  in  felf-defence,  againfl  him 
whom  he  has  endeavoured  to  injure 
In  the  tendereft  point,  his  lifter's 
\drtue. 

His  Modely,  in  the  Farm  Houfe, 
gives  the  fulleft  expreflion  to  thq. 
author's  ideas.  The  licentious  man 
ners,  the  depravity  of  principle,  the 
fafcinating  affability  of  this  well-drawn 
portrait,  fit  on  him  as  eafy  as  the  drefs 
he  wears. 

In  the  Clandeftine  Marriage,  h$ 
does  ample  juftice  to  the  excentri- 
cities  of  that  variegated  character, 
Lord  Ogk'by— to  his  gallant  and 
amiable  attentions  to  the  fair  fexr—to 

I  2 


128  THEATRICUS. 

his  vanity — to  his  generoiity — and  to 
his  affectation  of  priftine  vigour,  while 
groaning  under  the  excruciating  tor 
tures,  arifing  from  his  diflblute  life. 

His  Vapid,  in  the  Dramatift,  is  by 
no  means  inferior  to  the  former.  To 
this  character  and  that  of  Marplot,  in 
the  Bufy  Body,  it  may  be  objected, 
that  they  are  not  within,  they  are 
beyond  nature.  They  carry  the 
improbable  confpicuoufly  ftamped  on 
their  foreheads.  Mr.  Chalmers, 
however,  by  his  excellent  perform 
ance,  almoft  induces  the  fpectator 
to  believe  thefe  perfonages  not  only 
probable,  but  actually  before  his 
eyes. 


THEATRICUS.  129 

In  no  character,  perhaps,  does  he 
fhine  to  more  advantage,  than  in  Pe 
ter  Puff,  in  the  Critic.  To  equal 
him  in  this,  is  difficult — to  excel 
him,  irnpofiible.  This  part  requires 
incefTant  exertion  ;  and  the  fpectator 
is  loft  in  aftonifhment,  at  the  un 
abated  life  and  fpirit,  difplayed  for  an 
hour  and  a  half,  during  which  mind 
and  body  have  hardly  a  moment's 
relaxation.  The  humorous  extem 
poraneous  flights  in  which  he  occa- 
fionally  indulges,  give  the  higheft  pof- 
fible  feafoning  to  the  intellectual  feafl. 

He  has  feldom  attempted  low  co 
medy.  But  when  he  has,  his  fuccefs 
has  been  confiderable.  His  Trappanti, 
in  She  Would  and  She  Would  Not, 
13 


JjO  THEATRICUS. 

is  perfectly  natural,  and  puts  in  thq 
moftconfpicuous  light  all  the  roguery, 
cunning,  and  humour,  that  Gibber 
{>e  flowed  on  the  character. 

I  have  but  feldora  feen  him  in 
tragedy,  and  am  therefore  not  fully 
competent  to  pafs  an  opinion  on 
him  as  a  tragedian.  So  far,  how 
ever,  as  I  have  feen,  his  abilities  in 
this  line  are  inferior  to  thofe  he  dif-. 
plays  in  the  former.  In  awful  or 
terrific  fcenes,  he  verges  towards  rant 
— he  works  himfelf  into  a  degree  of 
violent  paffion,  which  often  affrights, 
but  fometimes  fails  of  exciting  the  fen- 
fibility  of  the  fpeclator. 

His  Hamlet  is,  however,  extremely 
\\Q\\  performed.  In  the  interview 


THEATRICUS.  13! 

•with  his  mother,  he  is  truly  great — 
and  likewife  when  the  players  repre- 
fent  their  tragedy  before  the  king  and 
queen. 

His  La  Motte,  in  Fontainville  Fo 
re  ft,  is  not  equal  to  the  former. 
This  character  is  hardly  natural,  and 
is  therefore  the  more  difficult  to  re- 
prefcnt.  However,  the  ftorm  of 
conflifting  paflions,  by  which  he  is 
impelled  forward  to  the  perpetration 
of  the  crime  that  threw  him  into  the 
power  of  Lord  Montault,  is  fully  and 
forcibly  exprefTed  in  his  countenance 
and  manner. 

To  conclude,  Mr.  Chalmers  pof- 
fefles  all  the  efTential  qualifications 
that  conflitute  a  capital  performer. 
14 


132  THEATRICUS. 

His  addrefs  is  eafy  and  unconftrained 
— he  hardly  ever  requires  the  Promp 
ter's  aid— his  delivery  is  equally 
becoming  and  natural  in  the  volu 
bility  of  Peter  Puff—the  airy  flights 
of  Belcour— the  fedu&ive  fophiftryof 
Belville — or  the  tardy  but  monitory 
repentance  of  Beverly. 


March,  1795. 


THEATRICUS.  133 

NUMBER    JI. 
Mrs.  WHITLOCK. 

PERHAPS  i  fhaii  not  be 

charged  with  injuftice  or  partiality, 
when  I  venture  to  pronounce  this  lady 
the  firft  ac~lrefs  in  America.  In  Tra* 
gedy,  (he  (lands  at  a  great  diflance  from 
every  rival ;  and  her  abilities  in  genteel 
comedy  are  very  great,  far  beyond 
what  are  ufually  met  with  in  thofe 
who  excel  in  the  former  department, 
In  the  terrific,  the  awful,  the  pathe 
tic  fcenes  of  highly  flnifhed  tragedy, 
flic  has  an  unlimited  command  ove? 


134  THEATRICUS. 

the  feelings  of  the  fpeclators.  And 
it  not  unfrequently  happens,  that 
hardy  veterans,  un appalled  in  the 
field  of  battle,  bear  teftimony,  by 
the  trickling  tears,  "  courfmg  each 
other  down  their  cheeks,"  to  her 
aftonifhing  powers.  I  have  never. feen 
a  performer,  not  even  excepting  the 
far-famed  Mrs.  Scddons,  who  has 
been  able  to  excite  in  me  fuch  highly 
pleafurable  emotions,  as  I  have  repeat 
edly  experienced  from  the  excellent 
performance  of  Mrs.  Whitlock. 

In  that  unfeeling  character,  Lady 
Macbeth,  me  difplays,  in  its  genuine 
colours,  that  headlong  ambition,  which 
flifles  the  voice  of  humanity,  of  loyalty, 
of  honour,  and  of  female  timidity. 


THEATRICUS.  135 

Her  madnefs  is  admirably  counter 
feited. 

In  Milton's  Mafque  of  Comus,  me 
adds  new  dignity,  by  the  force  of  the 
mod  excellent  delivery,  to  the  exal 
ted  fentiments  of  that  great  writer. 

Who,  that  has  feen  her  Mrs.  Be- 
verley,  in  the  Gamefter,  can  with 
hold  admiration  and  applaufe,  at  the 
tendernefs,  the  fenfibility,  the  diftrefs, 
fhe  fo  naturally  exhibits  in  the  various 
(lages  of  this  ufefal,  this  in(lru6tive 
tragedy  ? 

Eliza  RatclifFc,  in  the  Jew,  is  by 
no  means  fo  interefting  as  the  former 
character ;  however,  her  fenfibility  and 
terror,  on  the  rupture  between  her 
hufband  and  brother — her  perfect  reli- 


136  THEATRICUS. 

ance  on  the  honour  of  the  former, 
when  he  folemnly  promifes  to  avoid 
any  further  quarrel — her  refpedfal 
behaviour  to  Sir  Stephen  Bertram,  in 
their  interview — her  anxiety  and  fuf- 
pence,  when  (he  apprehends  his  con 
gratulations  on  her  fuppofed  fudden 
good  fortune,  are  only  ironical  re 
proaches  of  her  real  poverty — and 
her  joy  at  the  happy  reconciliation 
between  her  hufoand  and  his  family, 
are  exprefFed  with  great  juftice  and 
propriety. 

In  the  Orphan,  fhe  performs  Moni- 

inia,  in  a  capital  manner.     Her  well 

,:  jci  love  for  the  gentle  Caibilio, 

and  difliL-j  for  fhe  brutal  Pclydore— 

her  agonizing  torture  at  the  fcorn  and 


THEATRlCUSa  137 

contempt  (he  experiences  from  her, 
hufband — her  horror  at  the  difclofure 
of  the  inceftuous,  but  involuntary  con 
nections  with  her  brother-in-law-r— and 
her  fubfequent  madnefs  and  death, 
cannot  fail  of  receiving  the  loudefl 
tributes  of  applaufe  from  every  judi 
cious  fpedlator.  And  could  excel 
lence  of  acting  compenfate  for  the 
grolTeft  fundamental  errors  of  a  dra 
matic  compofition,  Mrs.  Whitlock  in 
Monimia,  Mr.  Chalmers  in  Chamont, 
Mr.  Whitlock  in  Acafto,  and  Mr. 
Moieton  in  Caftalio,  might  warrant  a 
repetition  of  this  tragedy.  But  the 
grpfmefs  of  many  of  the  fentiments 
exprefTed  by  Polydore — the  difguft- 
ing  incident  on  which  the  entire  inteT 


138  THEATRICUS. 

reft  of  the  piece  turns — and  the  multi 
plied  butchery  v  hich  clofes  it,  ought 
to  confign  the  Orphan  to  eternal  ob 
livion. 

.  Jn  that  finifhed  portrait,  Lady  Elea 
nor  Irwin,  in  Every  one  has  his  Fault, 
fhe  appears  to  as  much  advantage,  as 
in  any  of  the  characters  flic  afTumes. 
Filial  tendernefs  and  afTeclion  fpurned 
to  the  ground  by  an  unrelenting  and 
hard-hearted  father,  cannot  pofTibly 
find  exprefiion  beyond  what  fhe  exhi 
bits.  The  corroding  cares  of  a  tender 
v/ife,  whofe  loved  and  loving  hufband 
is  in  danger  of  an  ignominious  death, 
are  moft  pathetically  dcpi<5ted  in  her 
countenance,  and  by  fympathy  affecT: 
the  fpeclators  with  a  portion  of  her 


THEATRICUS.  139 

diilrefs.  But  what  can  be  beyond 
the  grand  fcene  in  which  me  difco- 
vers  her  long-loft  fon,  and  f bug 
gies  between  her  regard  for  him  and 
her  love  for  his  father,  whether,  at 
the  cxpenfe  of  the  former,  fhe  mall 
keep  the  fatal  pocket-book,  or  reftore 
it,  to  the  danger  of  the  latter  ?  This 
exquifite  treat  for  feeling  minds  is 
hardly  equalled — but  certainly  not 
excelled  by  any  fcene  ever  written  in 
our  language  ;  and  to  the  praife  of 
Mrs.  Whitlock,  it  muft  be  faid,  that 
the  merit  of  the  aclrefs  is  at  lead 
equal  to  that  of  the  author. 

To  conclude.  Mrs.  Whitlock  has 
a  dignified  carnage ;  her  pronunciation 
is  animated ;  her  voice  and  her  coun- 


140  THEATR1CUS, 

tenance  are  capable  of  every  inflection 
neceflary  to  exprefs  the  mod  oppofite 
emotions  and  paffions,  with  the  utmoft 
promptitude — her  memory  is  fo  good* 
and  her  application  fo  ailiduous,  as  to 
leave  her  little  indebt  to  the  prompter's 
aid — and,  except  her  perfon,  which 
approaches  towards  the  mafculifie, 
fhe  has  every  qualification  delirable  IQ, 
$n  aclrefs. 


THEATRICUS.  14! 

NUMBER.    III. 
Mr.  HARWOOD. 

.L  KIS  gentleman,  who,  perhaps, 
ranks  next  to  Mr.  Chalmers,  among 
the  male  performers,  is  in  high  favour 
with  the  amateurs  of  the  drama— 
At  his  entre  here,  he  attracted  little 
attention — but  fuddenly  came  forward 
with  great  and  unexpected  eclat. 
•  The  firfl  character  in  which  he 
made  a  confiderable  figure,  was  that  of 
Dr.  Lenitive,  in  the  prize,  or  2,  3, 
5,  8,  in  which  he  charmed  the  fpec- 


142  THEATRICUS* 

tators,  by  his  humour  and  originality 
— the  avarice  of  this  difciplc  of  Galen, 
his  grofs  ignorance,  his  ridiculous 
pedantry,  his  upftart  pride,  on  his  fup- 
pofed  good  fortune,  were  mofl  admi 
rably  perfonated.  The  fpeclator  was 
led  into  that  agreeable  delation  which 
deceives  him  into  a  belief,  that  the 
tranfient  fcene  is  acting  on  the  great 
ftage  of  the  world,  which  conftitutes 
the  chief  merit  of  a  good  performer. 

His  Fretful  Plagiary  is  even  fupe- 
rior  to  Lenitive.  He  does  complete 
juftice  to  the  teftinefs  of  this  literary 
(hark,  and  to  his  affected  indifference 
for  and  agonizing  torture  under  the 
cauterizing  criticifms  of  the  newf- 
paper  writers. 


THEATRICUS.  143 

His  Walter  in  the  delightful  after 
piece  of  the  Children  in  the  Wood, 
is  well  performed,  but  inferior  to 
Hodgkinfon's. — However,  he  has 
improved  confiderably  in  the  fucceflive 
reprefentations.  His  fong  of  "  Doro 
thy  Dump"  is  extremely  well  fung, 
and  accompanied  with  natural  and 
highly  humourous  geftures.  In  the 
interview  with  Oliver,  whom  he  en 
deavors  to  diiTuade  from  his  intention 
of  murdering  the  infants,  and  in  the 
fcene  where  they  are  brought  in  by 
their  parents,  he  is  equal  to  Hodgkin- 
fon.  The  parts  in  which  he  is  inferior, 
are,  when  he  is  difcovered  by  Sir 
Rowland,  and  throughout  in  his 
ccurtfhip  with  Jofephine,  which  Mr. 
K 


144  THEATRIC  US. 

Hodgkinfon  reprefents  with  more  true 
nature  and  grace* 

His  Sir  David  Dunder,  in  Ways 
and  Means,  gives  great  fatisfaclion. 
His  articulation  is  particularly  adapted 
to  the  volubility  of  this  hofpitable 
knight ;  as  likewife  to  that  of 

Prattle,  in  the  Deuce  is  in  Him,  in 
which  his  performance  was  extremely 
natural. 

His  Jabal  in  Cumberland's  Jewy 
was  received  with  great  applaufe,  a& 
he  filled  the  character  with  perfect 
propriety. 

In  the  Baron  of  Oakland,  Haunt 
ed  Tower,  Fulmer  in  the  Weft-Indian,. 
and  the  Planter  in  Yarico  and  Inkle, 
he  appeared  to  no  great  advantage. 


THEATRICUS.  145 

In  the  firft,  the  affected  dignity  of  the 
bafe  ufurper  did  not  feem  to  become 
him. 

In  Old  Barnacle  in  the  Romp,  he 
•difplays  the  rough  noli-me-t anger e 
manners  of  a  boifterous  fon  of  the 
waves,  extremely  welL 

His  Canton,  in  the  Clandeftine 
Marriage,  is  as  good  a  reprefenta- 
tion  of  the  finicking,  fantaftic,  and 
fawning  manners,  befrowed  in  moft 
JEnglifh  plays  on  French  characters, 
as  any  I  have  Teen.  But  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  that  in  "  this  country  of  good 
fenfe,"  we  will  rife  fuperior  to  the 
defpicable  and  odious  vice  of  holding 
ap  the  inhabitants  of  any  country,  or 
profefibrs  of  any  feel,  as  objects  of 


146  THEATRICUS. 

ridicule,  to  gratify  our  over- weening 
vanity  by  the  flattering  comparifon. 

His  Mayor  of  Coventry  and  Jef. 
fery  Latimer  are  judicioufly  pjayed 
and  command  great  approbation. 

From  his  great  fuccefs  in  humour 
ous  characters,  it  was  hardly  fuppofed 
that  his  powers  were  calculated  to  do 
juftice  to  the  tendernefs  of  conjugal 
love.  But  who  enjoyed  the  exqui- 
fite  pleafure  communicated  by  the 
interview  with  his  Sail  in  the  Purfe, 
that  did  not  inftantly  acknowledge 
how  egregious  was  the  miflake  ?  Gar- 
rick  himfelf  could  hardly  have  ex 
ceeded  him  in  this  fcene,  had  he 
played  the  part.  It  was  affecting  to 
the  highefl  degree.  The  foul  that 


THEATRICUS.  147 

can  be  unmoved  at  fuch  a  capital  dif- 
play  of  the  moft  interefting  emotions 
of  the  human  breaft,  muft  partake 
largely  of  the  nature  of  "  the  rugged 
rhinoceros,  or  the  Ruffian  bear."  In 
deed,  throughout  the  \vhole  of  the 
Purfe,  his  performance  is  highly  juft 
.and  natural. 

To  conclude.  Mr.  Harwood  is  an 
extremely  valuable  actor.  His  merits 
in  many  characters  are  of  the  firft  rate. 
He  can  aflume  as  great  a  variety  of 
countenance  and  manner  as  any  per 
former  in  this  city.  His  articulation 
is  either  rapid  as  the  falls  of  Niagara, 
or  flow  and  irately  as  the  meandering 
Sufquehanna,  according  to  the  charac 
ters  he  reprefents.  He  is,  however, 


148  THEATRICUS. 

often  indebted  to  Mr.  Rowfon's  ai4 
— which,  whether  it  arifes  from  defect 
of  memory,  or  want  of  application, 
is  certainly  a  confiderable  drawback 
on  the  gratification  received  from  hiss 
performance.  He  is  young,  and  im 
proving,  and  bids  fair,  at  no  very 
diftant  period,  to  arrive  at  a  very  un 
common  degree  of  reputation  in  his 
profeilion. 


THEATRICUS.  149 

NUMBER    IV. 
Mrs.  MARSHALL. 

JL  HIS  enchanting  little  a<5trefs 
poflefTes  as  high  a  degree  of  favour  as 
any  performer  that  ever  appeared  in 
America.  Nature  has  been  uncom 
monly  liberal  to  her.  She  has  a  plea- 
fing  figure,  and  a  prepofiefling  coun 
tenance,  which,  if  any  dependance  is 
to  be  placed  on  phyriognomy,  is  "  the 
title  page  to  a  mod  captivating  vo 
lume."  Her  voice  is  fweet  and  har 
monious.  She  (ings  agreeably,  and 

more  naturally,  than  fome%vhofe  vocal 
K4 


150  THEATR1CUS. 

powers  and  execution  are  far  fuperior 
to  hers,  in  the  opinion  of  the  amateurs. 

Her  performance  of  the  Country 
Girl  has  been  pronounced  by  compe 
tent  judges  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the 
celebrated  Mrs.  Jordan,  who,  in  Eng 
land,  is  regarded  as  having  arrived  at 
the  acme  of  excellence  in  this  charac 
ter.  The  craft  and  artifice,  beflowed 
by  native  inftinct,  to  counteract  the 
felfiih  and  bafe  defigns  of  her  fuper- 
annuated  guardian,  are  Admirably  co 
vered  by  the  mod  natural  and  impo- 
fing  fimplicity. 

Her  Edward,  in  Every  One  has 
his  Fault,  is  equal  to  any  of  her  cha 
racters.  She  divides  with  Mrs.  Whit- 
lock  the  merit  of  that  mod  admira- 


THEATRICUS,  l$l 

ble  fcene,  in  which  the  mother  and 
fon  difcover  each  other.  Her  well- 
fupported  fufpence  and  anxiety,  while 
torn  with  rival  pajHons — gratitude  to 
her  grandfather  for  his  protection, 
and  irrefifiible  filial  love  for  her  mo 
ther — cannot  be  too  highly  praifed. 
The  diftrefs  (he  difplays,  at  parting 
;with  her  grandfather,  when  love  tri 
umphs  over  gratitude,  is  highly  natu^ 
ral. 

In  the  Spoiled  Child,  me  is  always 
received  with  unbounded  applaufe. 
Never  did  pert  ill-mannered  boy  with 
more  nature,  naivete,  and  fpirit,  har- 
rafs  an  old-maidifh  aunt,  or  play  on 
the  foibles,  and  take  advantage  of  the 
blind  fide  of  a  doting  fond  father, 


152  THEATRICUS. 

than  this  aclrefs.  She  affumes  the 
drefs,  and  with  the  drefs  the  genuine 
manner  of  the  young  tarpaulin,  with 
the  utmofl  eafe.  And  in  this  difguife, 
one  time  of  performance,  me  recei 
ved  as  genuine  a  tribute,  as  was  ever 
beftov/ed.  The  ftory  has  been  alrea 
dy  told  in  the' papers;  but  I  mall,  I 
hope,  be  pardoned  for  repeating  it 
here.  A  fai!or  in  the  pit,  was  fo 
charmed  \v  ith  the  air,  the  manner,  of 
•her  fmging  the  fong 

"  Yo  yea," 

that  he  emptied  his  pocket  of  his  laft 
dollar,  which  he  threw  on  the  ftage, 
to  teftify  his  fatisfaclicn  at  the  perfor 
mance  of  "  the  little  gem'man,"  as  he 
termed  her.  But,  poor  fellow,  he 


THEATRICUS.  153 

was  rather  roughly  handled  ;  for  the 
action  being  miflaken  for  an  infult,  he 
•was  driven  out  of  the  houfe,  amidft 
the  hifles  and  abufe  of  the  fpeclators- 
In  Emily,  in  the  Deuce  is  in  Him, 
her  performance  is  natural  and  fpirited. 
But  nature,  in  choofing  the  materials 
for  her  compofition,  threw  in  an  over 
proportion  of  the  rifible.  Humour 
and  merriment  are,  therefore,  her 
predominent  qualities.  Nature  fome- 
times  triumphs,  in  fpite  of  every  effort 
to  difguife  or  counteract  her.  This 
was  never  more  perceptible,  than  in 
the  interview  with  her  limping  lover, 
colonel  Tamper,  whofe  awkward  and 
disfigured  appearance  fo  completely 
tickled  her  fancy,  that  me  could  not 


154  THEATRICUS. 

refill  the  impulfe  to  laughter,  at  a 
moment  when  me  wifhed  to  appear 
in  the  utmofl  diftrefs.  The  fame  cir- 
cumftance  has  occurred  on  fomeother 
occafions.  It  is  hoped  the  little  char 
mer  will  attend  to  this  friendly  hint, 
and  in  ferious  parts,  lay  in  a  fuitable 
frock  of  gravity. 

In  Prifcilla  Tomboy,  fhe  is  hardly 
equal  to  Mrs.Hodgkinfon,who  fliines 
in  this  character. 

Her  Jofephine  is  extremely  well 
performed,  and  I  think  fuperior  to 
Mrs.  Ilodgkinfon's.  In  the  lover's 
altercation,  and  in  parting  \viih  the 
children,  her  meiits  are  very  g;cat> 

In  Lydia  Languifa,  flie  roprefen'.s 
to  advantage,  the  novel-reading  ruiis. 


THEATRICUS.  15? 

The  disappointment  of  her  fcheme  of 
an  elopement -her  chagrin  at  the  mor 
tifying  profpect  of  being  thrice  called 
in  church,  and  kifTed  by  the  greafy 
church-warden — *and  her  refentment 
at  the  impofition  practifed  upon  her, 
are  unexceptionably  well  played. 

Her    Moggy    M'Gilpin,    in    the 
^Highland  Reel,  is  truly  excellent. 

Her  Page,  in  the  purfe,  is  highly 
jnterefting.     Her  fong  of 

"  When  I  was  a  little  he," 

is  enchanting.  The  difplay  of  affec 
tion  for  her  mother,  on  the  perufal  of 
her  letter,  and  the  pathos  of  her  in- 
treaties  for  a  continuance  of  her  pa* 
tron's  friendfhip,  are  chefs  d'ceuyre, 


Ij6  THEATRICUS. 

In  fine.  Mrs.  Marmall  may,  as  a 
general  aclrefs,  afpire  at  a  firft  rank 
in  America. — The  degree  of  favour 
me  acquired  on  her  arrival  here,  be-? 
ing  founded  on  the  bafe  of  intrinfic 
excellence,  has  gained  additional 
flrength  in  proportion  as  (he  has  been 
the  fubject  of  critical  examination.  She 
can  with  equal  eafe,  grace,  and  propri 
ety  aflume  the  forward,  pouting  airs 
of  an  awkward  country  minx — the  im 
pertinence  of  a  rude  boy,  better  fed 
than  taught — the  ftaid  manners  of  a 
well-educated  lady — and  the  foftnefs 
and  tendernefs  of  a  Juliet.  In  all  her 
extensively  variegated  line  of  acting, 
me  meets  with  well  earned  plaudits. 
And  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  me  will 


THEATRICUS.  l^ 

ever  bear  ftrongly  impreffed  in  mind 
the  large  (hare  of  efteem  fhe  has  at 
ftake — and  be  as  careful  in  preferving, 
as  fhe  has  been  happy  in  acquiring, 
the  unanimous  good  wifhes  of  her  libe 
ral  patrons,  the  citizens  of  Philadel 
phia. 


ADVANTAGES 
OF 

OVER-TRADING. 

In  a  Letter  to  a  Friend. 

EEJR  SIR, 

X  OU  have  afked  my  opinion 
refpe&ing  over-trading,  of  which  you 
feem  to  be  highly  afraid.  But  I  hope 
fo  clearly  to  point  out  its  advantages, 
as  to  remove  all  your  fcruples,  and  to 
induce  you  to  purfue  the  fteps  of  fo 
many  of  your  fellow  citizens,  who 
enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  conveni 
ences  of  this  laudable  practice. 


OVER-TRADING.  159 

With  all  my  partiality  for  it,  I 
freely  acknowledge,  that  its  benefits 
do  not  appear  very  evident,  but  at 
particular  feafons,  and  during  times 
of  ftagnation.— When  bufinefs  is  bride? 
one  is  tempted  to  overlook  the  advan 
tages.  But  he  rnuft  be  a  mod:  incor 
rigible  fceptic,  that  can  doubt  its  blef- 
fings,  when  money  is  fcarce,  when 
trade  is  dull,  when  banks  curtail  dif- 
counts,  &c. 

In  the  fir  ft  place,  during  the  winter 
and  fummer  months,  when  bufinefs 
is  at  a  (land,  and  nothing  doing,  what 
refource  can  a  man  have,  who  has 
not  over-traded,  to  keep  himfelf 
employed  ?  None.  He  is  devoured 
by  vapours,  by  ennui,  by  liftiejTnefs, 


l6o  ADVANTAGES  OF 

Time  hangs  on  his  hands  a  heavy 
burden. 

But  mark  the  contraft.  The  man 
who  has  run  himfelf  comfortably  in 
debt,  to  the  amount  of  15,  20,  or 
30,000  dollars,  has  not  an  unemployed 
vacant  hour,  day  or  night.  As  foon 
as  he  rifes  in  the  morning,  he  has  to 
exercife  himfelf  in  walking  over  the 
city  to  borrow  a  few  dollars  here  and 
there-What  a  charming  opportunity  it 
gives  a  man  to  fee  his  acquaintance  ! 
How  acceptable  mud  his  vifits  be, 
which  are  certain  title-pages  to  a 
begguny  requefl:  for  money !  What  a 
touchftone  he  is  to  prove  the  fincerity 
of  his  friends! — When  he  lies  down 
at  night,  (lumber  flies  from  his  pillow, 


OVEPv-TRADING.  l6l 

and  his  whole  attention  is  turned  to 
devife  fifcal  arrangements  for  the  fol 
lowing  day. 

As  times  grow  worfe,  thefe  com 
forts  increafe.  You  have  the  pleafure 
fometimes  of  borrowing  daily,  to  pay 
the  fucceeding  morning  or  afternoon. 
What  a  refpedable  fight  it  is,  to 
behold  you  or  your  clerk,  fneaking 
to  the  bank  after  the  directors  have 
gone  away,  to  anticipate,  by  a  few 
hours,  the  knowledge  of  their  decifion 
upon  the  notes  you  have  offered! 
What  a  mournful  countenance  ,you 
exhibit,  when  your  notes  i\re  returned 
to  you,  hanging  out  of  your  book,  with 
the  mark  of  the  bcaft  on  them !  HOY/ 

you   pufT  and   blow   rttnniag   about 
L 


l62  ADVANTAGES  OF 

from  flreet  to  ftreet,  to  borrow  money, 
and  get  intobankbefore  three  o'clock  I 
What  a  number  of  promifes  you  make,, 
impoflible  to  be  performed! 

As  the  climax  rifes,  new  fhifts  open 
to  your  view.  To  over-draw  is  a 
mod  capacious  one.  It  flays  for  a 
while  the  impending  torrent  of  dif- 
trefs.  What  a  charming  exercife 
for  your  dexterity,  to  keep  your  book 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  clerks,  left 
they  mould  feize  it,  and  expofe  how 
frequently  the  balance  is  on  the 
wrong  fide  ! 

When  borrowing  is  at  an  end,  and 
the  clerks   of  the   banks   grow   too 
wary  to  allow  you   to  over-draw,  a.. 
further  advantage   arifes.     You  are 


OVER-TRADING.  163 

introduced  to  the  acquaintance  of 
that  very  worthy  and  confcientious 
race  of  men,  who  Teem  born  for  the 
relief  of  perfons  in  diftrefs.  I  mean 
the  friendly  clafs  of  ufurers.  You 
may  at  firfl  hire  money  of  them,  at 
one  per  cent,  a  month — afterwards  at 
two — and,  as  their  charity  grows 
'with  your  diftrefs,  it  will  probably 
:rife  to  four  or  five,  if  your  fufferings 
fnould  be  fo  great  as  to  excite  an 
-extraordinary  degree  of  Tympathy  in 
-.their  tender  hearts. 

You  will  probably  think  that  this 
"is  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  the  advantages 
of  this  mode  of  doing  bufmefs.  So  did 
I  at  fir  ft .  But  I  foon  difcovered  my 
;miftake.  Rats,  they  fay,  defert  a 

-L  2 


164  ADVANTAGES    OF 

finking  fhip.  They  are  warned  by  the 
Indincl  bellowed  on  them  by  mother 
nature.  The  ufurers  pofTcfs  an  infiincl: 
fimilar  to  this — and  generally  fmell 
out  a  (inking  firm,  from  which  they 
contrive  to  make  an  early  efcape. 
Then  your  acquaintance  extends  fur 
ther.  A  worthy  man,  whom  they 
Call  a  notary  public,  kindly  calls  on 
you,  brightens  up  your  recollection 
of  a  note  you  forgot  to  pay  at  bank, 
and  demands  payment,  which  you 
are  not  able  to  make.  This  vifit,  fup- 
pofing  you  are  poffefTed  of  any  fenfi- 
bility,  difplays  your  countenance  to 
great  advantage.  The  pleafing  mix 
ture  of  charming  red  with  which  it 


OVER-TRADING.  165 

fuitufes  your  cheeks,  heightens  your 
natural  beauties  to  the  utmofr,  degree. 
.  I  have  not  noticed  the  amount  of 
the  intereft  you  pay.  Suppofing  you 
to  have  the  moderate  fum  of  1 2,000 
dollars  of  bank  money  in  trade,  you 
do  not  pay  much  more  than  1,000 
dollars  a  year.  This  is  a  mere  baga 
telle,  unworthy  of  notice.  Indeed, 
were  it  not  for  fome  fuch  drain  as 
this,  it  would  be  impoilible  to  find 
employment  for  the  immenfe  profits 
of  trade  at  prefent. 

Another  advantage  which  I  pafled 
over,  is,  the  improvement  in  polite- 
jiefs  and  good  behaviour,  which  you 
derive  from  your  cringing  vifits  to 
directors  and  prefidents  of  banks— 
L  3 


l66  ADVANTAGES,  &C. 

your  dancing  attendance  at  their 
levees — your  requefts,  they  will  be  fo 
kind  as  to  pay  attention  to  your 
notes,  &c« 

I  might  extend  the  enumeration 
much  farther — but  mail  conclude  for 
the  prefent  with  the  obfervation,  that 
the  man  who  involves  himfelf  by 
over-trading,  has,  in  the  fulleft  fenfe 
of  the  words,  "  taken  up  his  crofs" — . 
a  crofs  which  half  a  life  may  be  too 
little  to  enable  him  to  lay  down. 

again. 

I  am,  with  efteem, 

Yours,  &c<, 


OBSERVATIONS 

ON    THE 

BADNESS  OF  THE  TIMES. 


ARE 


IQ, 


the  prefent  times,  really 
and  lonaf.de)  as  diftrefling  and  calami 
tous,  as  they  are  univerfally  faid  to 
be  ?  This  queftion,  which  to  many 
\vill  appear  as  ridiculous  as  to  de 
mand,  does  the  fun  prefide  over  the 
day,  is  afked  with  all  the  coolnefs 
and  gravity  of  a  ftoic,  and  a  ferious 
anfwer  is  requefted.  Locke  has  fome- 

where  obferved,  that  a  want  of  at 
L4 


l68  ON    THE    BADNESS 

certaining  with  precifion  the  ideas  con 
veyed  by  words  in  general  ufe,  is  one 
of  the  moft  abundant  fources  of  hu 
man  ignorance  and  error.  Perhaps, 
without  incurring  the  charge  of  para 
dox,  it  may  be  added,  that  the  mod 
familiar  terms  are  often  lead  under- 
flood.  The  ignoblle  vulgus,  (with 
"  reverence  due  and  fubmiffion"  be  it 
faid,  five-fixths  of  mankind)  pick  up 
a  fet  of  phrafes,  which  they  repeat, 
parrot-like,  by  rote,  without  con 
ceiving  any  clear  idea  of  them,  or 
being  able,  if  required,  to  define  their 
meaning, — Left,  therefore,  our  ideas 
of  diftrefs  and  calamity  mould  not  co 
incide  with  thofe  of  our  readers,  we 
will  afk  a  queftion  or  two. — What  is 


OF    THE    TIMES.  169 

diflrefs? — What  is  calamity  ? — Some 
folk,  very  probably,   think  it  mighty 
diftrejjing,  that  a  man  who  begins  bu- 
finefs  with  a  flender  capital,   or  per 
haps  on  the  broad  bottom  of  a  patched- 
up  credit,  cannot  keep   his  country 
houfe,  his  phaeton,  his  chaife,  or  even 
his  pair    of  horfes ;   that  he  cannot 
have  above  half  a  dozen  dimes  fmoak- 
ing  on  his  table  every  day — nor  en 
tertain  his  friends  en  homme  comme  il 
faut.     This  is   all   the   fault  of  the 
damned  bad  times  ! — It  is,    indeed, 
mighty  calamitous,  that  the  blind  god- 
defs    Fortune   mould    have  been  fo 
•unkind  to  many  funny   boys,  hearty 
Jelloivs,    jovial  fouls,  fpnghtly  lads, 
and  others  of  that  noble  fraternity,  as 


170  ON    THE    BADNESS 

to  have  made  them  fons  and  heirs  of 
poverty  and  empty  purfe,  at  the  fame 
time  that  "  Nature  indulgently  en- 
*c  dowed  them  with  all  the  innocent 
((  dejiresy  appetites^  vui/Les  andfaffions, 
"  of  dukes  and  earls  ;"  fo  that  while 
they  have  all  the  faculties  and  talents 
requisite  to  mine  with  'wonderful  eclat% 
in  the  fporting  away  fomc  thoufands 
per  annum,  they  are  obliged  to  confine 
themfelves  to  the  obfcurity  and  infig- 
tilficance  of  their  (lores — What  a  piti* 
able  cafe  ! — It  is  alfo  dreadfully  dif- 
treffing,  that  a  clerk  or  fhopkeeper, 
\vho  is  charitably  and  innocently  dif- 
pofed  to  provide  for  a  female  friend^ 
in  fome  retired  country  fpot,  fuch  as 
Kenfington,Gerrnantown,  8cc. — ride 


OT    THE    TIMES.  'I'7t 

out  ten  or  a  dozen  miles  to  dinner  on 
Sundays — play  a  few  games  at  billi 
ards  now  and  then — keep  it  up  two  or 
three  nights  in  the  week — and  in 
dulge  himfelf  in  various  other  equally 
harmlefs  modes  of  recreation,  mould 
foe  obliged,  by  the  general  dullnefs  of 
the  times i  to  ftupify  himfelf  plodding 
over  his  ivafle-books,  his  journals  and 
his  ledgers i  or  warming  his  toes,  kick 
ing  the  threfhold  of  his  employer's 
door — and  all  this  owing  to  the  dead- 
nefs  of the  feafon,  bad  times,  fear  city 
of  money,  Jlagnation  of  trade,  &c. — - 
Is  it  not  alfo  a  mojl  lamentable  conji- 
deration,  that  an  artizan  or  mechanic, 
\vho  could  find  a  thoufand  laudable 
of  recreating  himfelf  at  billiards 9 


172  ON    THE    BADNESS 

bsiuls)  tennis )  all  fours-)  &c.  or  over 
his  glafs  of  cherry  bounce^  his  brandy  ^ 
Jling,  or  his  bowl  of  bub,  fhould  be 
obliged,  by  the  mere  feverity  of  the 
times,  to  work  fix  days  in  the  week, 
at  fo  very  low  a  rats,  as  five,  fix,  fe- 
ven,  or  eight  dollars  ? — Hard  muft 
be  the  heart  of  him  who  can  hear  of 
Jill  thofe  unparalleled  miferies  and  dif- 
treffes,  without  fhedding  —  tears  of 
Hood. — We  may  juftly  cry  out  with 
the  Mantuan  bard — "  £>uis,  talia 
fando,  temper et  a  lac ry mis  ?" 

A  truce  with  irony — or(asthefour 
cynic  will  fay)  with  nonfenfe.  Do 
not  people  in  general  live  comfortably 
here  ?  Have  not  bankruptcies  (the 
pipft  infallible  criteria  of  bad  times) 


OF    THE    TIMES.  1J$ 

fubfided  for  a  confiderable  time  paft  > 
Do  not  manufacturers  ordinarily  find 
a  ready  vent  for  all  the  goods  they 
make  ?  Is  not  the  number  of  unem 
ployed  mechanics  very  fmall  ? If 

the  intelligent  reader  (hall  anfwer 
thefe  queftions  in  the  affirmative,  it 
is  an  obvious  inference,  that  the  pre- 
fent  times  cannot,  in  ftrift  propriety 
of  language,  be  called  calamitous  or 
diftreffing. 

Whoever  purfues  this  very  intereft- 
ing  reflexion  to  a  greater  extent,  will 
probably  agree,  that  of  the  few  who 
give  themfelves  the  trouble  of  think 
ing,  by  far  the  major  part  have  only 
confufed  ideas  of  even  the  mod  fami 
liar  terms ;  whence  all  their  premifes 


174  ON    THE    BADNESS 

and  conclufions  are,  involved  in  a 
chaos.  This  is  the  only  mode  of  ac 
counting  for  the  univerfality  of  the 
outcry  againft  the  mifery  of  the  times. 
That  there  is  vaftly  lefs  money  here 
at  prefent  than  immediately  fubfe- 
quent  to  the  conclufion  of  the  late 
war,  is  inconteftible :  but  with  nations 
as  with  individuals,  happinefs  de 
pends  not  upon  wealth.  Is  the  cit, 
pofMed  of  his  tens  of  thoufands,  or 
the  planter,  owner  of  boundlefs  acres, 
and  numerous  corps  of  the  fwarthy 
victims  of  his  avarice  and  pride,  in- 
trinfkally  happier  than  the  merry 
cobler,  who  fits  in  his  flail,  finging, 
"  I  care  for  nobody,  no,  not  I, 
«  If  nobody  cares  for  me !" 


OF    THE    TIMES.  1J$ 

Are  the  lazy  enervate  fons  of  Mexico 
and  Peru,  who  annually  deluge  Eu 
rope  with  their  gold,  filver,  and  pre- 
'cious  (tones,  happier  than  the  hardy  y 
innocent,  and  poor  inhabitants  of 
Switzerland  ?  In  the  fcale  of  reafoo 
and  common  fenfe,  doubtlefs  not* 
To  purfue  this  analogy  : 
"  Reafon's  whole  pleafure — all  the 

joys  of  fenfe 
«'  Lie  in  three  words — health,  peace,, 

and  competence." 
So  fung  Pope,  relatively  .  to  the 
happinefs  of  individuals  :  what  is  true 
of  them  will  equally  hold  with  refpeft 
to  aggregate  bodies — for  whatever 
conflitutes  the  happinefs  of  one  man, 
fhouid  ecually  conduce  (whim  and 


176  ON    THE    BADNESS 

caprice  excluded)  to  that  of  his 
neighbour — and  fo  on,  ad  infnltum. 
It  is  unnecefTary  to  add,  that  if  each 
member  of  a  fociety  be  happy,  the 
fociety  itfelf  muft  confequently  befo. 
What  is  deducible  from  this  ? — That 
Pennsylvania,  poffeiling  a  healthy 
climate — being  in  the  enjoyment  of 
peace — and  producing  more  than  is 
neceflliry  to  procure  a  fupply  of  all 
thofe  articles  (ifanyfuch  there  be) 
which  (he  muft  have  recourfe.  to  fo 
reign  nationsfor,  [i.e.  in  other  words, 
being  pofTciled  of  a  compelencc~\  if  me 
be  not  really  happy,  me  mutt  charge 
it  to  the  account  of  her  own  folly, 
imprudence,  and  party  fquabbles. 

THE     E  N  D. 


